


Found in the Moments Between the Search

by r_grayjoy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-21
Updated: 2011-02-21
Packaged: 2017-10-15 19:59:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/164445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/r_grayjoy/pseuds/r_grayjoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sirius returns from beyond the Veil with knowledge of Voldemort's Horcruxes, he takes on the task of finding and destroying them.  Somewhere along the way he finds an unexpected ally and perhaps something more.  (AU from the end of OotP, takes place during HBP period)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Found in the Moments Between the Search

**Author's Note:**

> Written for snapelyholidays 2010.

**Found in the Moments Between the Search**

The Headmaster's office was exactly as it had been since Sirius' days as a student. Peculiar gadgets still whirred and puffed on their spindly-legged tables, lamplight still made shadows dance in nooks and crannies, and a spray of stars still winked outside the tall windows. Yet it all looked different somehow, as though Sirius were seeing it through new eyes. It was not less real, but more so; more clear and vivid than ever before. Everything had been in the last few days.

"I must say, it's very good to have you back among the living," Dumbledore remarked as Sirius took a seat across from him.

"It's good to be back. I didn't really fancy being dead," Sirius said, relaxing into the armchair and flashing a lazy smile.

"You must have worked up quite a thirst while wandering about the afterlife. Tea?"

"One of the great pleasures in life, eh?" Sirius said. "Sure, I'll have a cuppa."

Not that Sirius truly had a choice in the matter. He'd been on the visitor's side of the Headmaster's desk enough times to know that he'd end up with a cup of tea in his hands whether he wanted one or not. Fortunately, he didn't mind having tea and a chat just then, although he knew better than to get too comfortable. Dumbledore was a conniving old goat, and there were important matters to be discussed.

The tea was served, and Dumbledore stirred an obscene amount of sugar into his cup as he said, "If you don't mind my asking, what was it like beyond the Veil?"

"It wasn't bad." Sirius shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I don't remember much. It's all hazy now. I mostly just remember being with James and Lily."

That earned Sirius a raised pair of eyebrows from Dumbledore. "Indeed? You saw Lily and James Potter?"

"Yeah, I think I spent most of my time there with them. It was great seeing them again." That was quite an understatement, really, but Sirius didn't particularly feel like getting sentimental with Dumbledore. "I also remember being aware that I wasn't dead in the same way that they were. Not yet, at any rate."

"And so you were able to be brought out of the Veil again."

"Seems like it," Sirius said and sipped his tea. It wasn't so simple as all that, of course, but it was unlikely Sirius could tell Dumbledore much that he didn't already know.

After Bellatrix's spell had knocked Sirius through the Veil, apparently Harry had, in typical Gryffindor fashion, plunged in after him. Remus swore that he'd tried to hold Harry back, but he'd been a fraction of a second too slow to grab him properly, and Harry had broken free. Sirius couldn't say exactly what had happened on the other side. He only knew that he and Harry had found each other in some vast, indescribable space and that Harry had led them both back to the archway and into the Ministry. It had been nighttime when they'd emerged, and thankfully they'd been able to sneak out and return to Grimmauld Place undetected. They'd later been told that three days had passed while they were gone.

"Well," Dumbledore said, "I'm certain no one is more relieved by your return than Harry. He would have been devastated at losing you." He gave Sirius a pointed look over the rim of his spectacles.

Sirius refused to be guilted into contrition on that particular matter. "I know. But I couldn't hear that he was in danger and not do anything. I'd gladly die to keep him safe, you know that."

"An admirable sentiment, though I do hope you won't be quite so determined to demonstrate it in future." When Sirius opened his mouth to protest, Dumbledore waved his hand to silence him. "I do understand your reaction, Sirius. But allowing yourself to be captured could have been a great liability to the Order and to Harry. You should have done as Severus asked and stayed at Grimmauld Place."

"Yeah, well, you know I don't-- I _didn't_ trust him as far as I could hex him."

"Didn't?" Dumbledore lifted an eyebrow.

Setting his cup aside, Sirius said, "I might have learned a thing or two while I was on the wrong side of a curtain."

"Learning is always valuable and to be commended," Dumbledore remarked. "May I inquire as to the nature of the knowledge with which you returned?"

"I know why Harry was able to bring me back," Sirius said. "And I know why Voldemort can't yet be killed."

"Ah. I see."

Dumbledore's reaction was not at all what Sirius had expected, and he felt as though he'd been hit with a bucket of cold water. "You know!" he accused. "You already know about the Horcruxes."

Nodding, Dumbledore said, "I've been studying the matter for some while now."

"Then when were you planning to do something about them?!"

"In due course. It does not do to rush into a situation such as this unprepared. Further, it would have been virtually impossible for me to go after them myself this past school year with, let us say, the political climate being what it was."

"So you were waiting for summer hols?"

"In part. However, I intend to entrust most of the task to another. I believe that the person who is most intimately connected to the matter must bear the responsibility."

"Who… ?" Anger flooded Sirius as realization dawned. "No. Sod that! He's just a _kid_!"

"He's never been 'just' a boy, Sirius. He needs to understand that and be prepared for what is to come."

"Find another way to prepare him. Teach him Defense, teach him Occlumency. Hell, have Snape teach him every Dark curse he knows! But don't you dare ask him to risk his life in hunting down those vile things. Not when there are others who could do it."

"The more who know about the Horcruxes, the greater the risk of Voldemort discovering our intentions," Dumbledore said. "Sirius, you must know that I've no wish to lay such a dangerous and grim task on Harry's shoulders. However, I would not do so if I believed it to be beyond his abilities. The mission should fall to him."

"No, it shouldn't. I'll do it. I already know about the Horcruxes so no one else needs to be told. And since Voldemort thinks I'm dead, he won't suspect a thing. It's perfect!"

"Sirius," Dumbledore began, "I cannot allow--"

"I said I'm doing it." Sirius crossed his arms. "What will you do? Hold me prisoner in my own house? I'll go after the sodding things whether you like it or not."

There was a long silence during which Dumbledore gave Sirius a penetrating stare and Sirius refused to break his gaze. At last Dumbledore said, "Very well. In that case, I believe I know where at least one of them can be found."

* * * * *

Upon arriving at the front step of the house on Grimmauld Place, Sirius let himself inside, crossed the entryway, and headed down to the kitchen. A few flicks of his wand soon had the kettle filled and heating over a flame. Laying his wand aside, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, then held it aloft to examine it.

A gold ring with a black stone, it seemed like such a simple, harmless thing. It was hard to believe that, until only a few minutes ago, it had held a piece of the Dark Lord's fractured and corrupt soul. In fact, Sirius might not have believed it if he hadn't cracked the stone and heard the shriek of the dying Horcrux himself.

Dumbledore had suggested that any magical object or potent spell with destructive properties could be used to destroy the Horcruxes, so Sirius had simply rummaged around his house to find something that would do the trick. In the end he'd decided on a thick cane with a unicorn horn that sprang from the end when the Black family motto was spoken. The irony of a unicorn being associated with his ancestors' concept of 'purity' was not lost on Sirius, but still there was something satisfying about driving the tip of the weapon into the Horcrux. And regardless of the tool used to perform the job, it was one portion of his task finally completed.

Sirius had been forced to put off his search for the Horcruxes until after summer hols. Harry had chosen to spend the full two months with him, and there'd been a parade of Weasleys and Order members through the house to boot. There'd been no way for Sirius to leave for any length of time without his absence having been noted and questioned, so he'd stayed put. He loved Harry and was grateful for every minute they were able to spend together, but by the first of September Sirius had practically been pacing the floor and chomping at the bit to get at the Horcruxes.

Now that the ring had been eliminated, however, Sirius wasn't certain what to do next. Dumbledore seemed firm in his belief that Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup were two of the items that they needed, but he also had no idea where they could be found. He'd told Sirius that he was investigating the matter and hoped to have further information soon, but Sirius wasn't going to sit on his thumbs in the meantime.

In theory, one of the Horcruxes should have been made from an object of Ravenclaw's, but Sirius didn't yet know what it could be. Flitwick was the ideal person to ask about Ravenclaw artifacts, but he wasn't a member of the Order, so having dangerous fugitive Sirius Black casually popping into his office at teatime wasn't likely to go over too well. Asking someone else to talk to Flitwick in his place was out of the question, but perhaps if Sirius had a disguise or some Polyjuice…

The chime that warned of the Floo activating interrupted Sirius' thoughts. Shoving his wand and the ring back into his robes, Sirius made his way upstairs to see who had arrived. Severus Snape walking out of the drawing room came as something of a surprise.

Fighting down a habitual surge of anger, Sirius put what he hoped was a pleasant smile on his face and said, "Ah, Snape! Just the wizard I wanted to see."

Snape's reciprocal smile was equally phony. "Ah, Black. The very last wizard I wanted to see. Are you on the sauce again? Tsk, you didn't even wait a full week once term started to return to your besotted ways."

"I'm not drunk, you horrible git."

"Merely slovenly, then? You're your usual sharp-dressed self, I see. Did you go outside and find something dead to roll in, mongrel?"

Sirius didn't have to glance down at his robes to recall that he was still covered in dust and grime from the dilapidated Gaunt house. The fact that he couldn't tell Snape the reason for his filthy appearance ate at his pride. Raking his gaze over Snape's form, he asked, "Do you really want to get into a discussion with me about personal hygiene, _Snivellus_?"

Snape snarled, his face flushed, and his hand twitched over his wand. His voice was barely more than a whisper as he said, "Call me that again, Black, and so help me I'll find a potion that calls for dog tongue as an ingredient."

The mention of potions reminded Sirius that he needed Polyjuice from Snape. He took a deep breath, exhaled it through his teeth, and stepped back. "Fine," he said. "Look, I really did want to talk to you about something."

"As I have no interest in talking to _you_ , you'd best make it fast."

Getting right to the point, Sirius said, "I need Polyjuice."

"For what, precisely?" Snape's eyes narrowed.

"I can't tell you." Sirius shook his head. "It's important, though. Can you make it?"

"Of course," Snape said, sniffing as though the question had been an affront to his abilities. "But what makes you think I'd do it for you?"

"If you don't, I'll just ask Albus for it. Then he'll likely _make_ you brew it for me. Seems to me that you might as well just agree now and save us all the trouble."

"I'd rather do it at his command than at your request," Snape snapped. "Now if you're quite done, I came for a book. I'd like to find it and get out of this miserable place as quickly as possible."

Snape tried to step around him, but Sirius blocked his path. "Not so fast. That's my collection you intend to raid. You want a book? I want Polyjuice."

"Fine," Snape bit out between his teeth. "You'll have it as soon as it's ready." With that, he pushed past Sirius and stomped towards the library.

Shaking his head, Sirius went into the drawing room and flopped into the most comfortable chair. Minutes later, Snape entered the room. He swept past Sirius without so much as looking at him and threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. Just before he stepped in and vanished, Sirius called out, "Don't forget the Polyjuice!" Somehow, getting the last word with Snape was always satisfying.

* * * * *

"So, I need some of your hair."

"Pardon me?" Remus said, then eyed Sirius suspiciously over his teacup as he took a sip.

Picking up his own cup, Sirius leaned back into his armchair and studied his old friend. He knew that Remus had been devastated at nearly losing him again and that he'd been making a point to drop by to visit Sirius as often as his work for the Order would allow. With his graying hair and patched robes, Remus looked older than he should, but when he was with Sirius, his mischievous, boyish grin would still light up his face. Sirius only wished he could tell Remus about his mission. He wasn't in the habit of keeping secrets from the people closest to him.

"I need some of your hair," Sirius repeated. "For a Polyjuice Potion. I need to be you for a couple of hours."

"Not a chance. I'd end up having to spend the next two months undoing the damage you could do in two hours."

"What, you don't think I could be you?"

"Frankly? No."

"Oh, really?" Sirius said. Straightening his spine slightly, he mimicked the way Remus was holding his cup. In a mildly disapproving tone, he said, "Now, Sirius. Charming everyone's shoelaces together under the table was childish and not the least bit funny. You really ought to try to pay attention in Order meetings, no matter how painfully dull they are. Now," he went on, his voice becoming cheerful, "would you like some chocolate? It fixes virtually everything, you know."

"I do not sound like that," Remus protested, though he looked away sheepishly.

Sirius grinned. "So, will you give it to me?"

"Depends. Why do you need to be me?"

"So I can talk to someone who's not in the Order. Look, clear it with Dumbledore if it'll make you feel better. I promise I'm not up to anything I shouldn't be."

With a sigh, Remus said, "All right. But I just know I'm going to regret this."

"Great! Thanks, Remus. For a while I was afraid I'd have to go as Snape." Sirius pulled a face.

"Oh, I don't know. It could be entertaining to watch students falling all over themselves to flee your path."

"True, but I'd probably break something in my face from all that sneering and glaring."

Remus chuckled. "He's really not all that bad, you know. Albus trusts him."

"Oh, I know he's on our side. But that doesn't stop him from being a complete twat," Sirius grumbled.

"Since when do you believe he's on our side?"

"Since I came back."

Nodding in understanding, Remus said, "He tried to save you."

"What? How?"

"Think about it. When Harry told him -- in rather poor code, no less -- that you were in trouble, he could have pretended not to understand or delayed in contacting anyone. Instead he Flooed us here as quickly as he could. I'm not saying he _likes_ you, mind, but he did set aside personal grudges when it mattered."

"Hmph. I'd never have thought he had it in him."

"Nor I, to be honest. But Snape's always been full of surprises."

Sirius snorted. "Yeah, but they're usually the kind that end up with someone covered in boils or bruises or gelatinous goo."

Laughing, Remus said, "In all fairness, he hasn't resorted to gelatinous goo since our fifth year. But you have a valid point."

From there the conversation moved on to other topics, and Sirius put all thoughts of Snape out of his mind.

* * * * *

The Floo in the drawing room activated, signaling Snape's arrival with the completed Polyjuice Potion. This time Sirius was determined to be ready for him. He'd let Snape wind him up far too quickly the last time they'd met, and Sirius was bothered by the notion that he was so easily manipulated and predictable. Besides, now that he knew Snape's wasn't a double-crossing Death Eater, he no longer had any real cause to hate Snape outright, even if he still didn't like him one bit. Therefore he'd decided to take a page out of Remus' book and be pleasant towards Snape. Possibly even infuriatingly so.

After taking a deep, calming breath, Sirius walked to the drawing room. As soon as he entered, Snape thrust a glass bottle out in his direction and held it at arm's length. "Black. Your potion," he said, sounding not the least bit pleased to be delivering it.

Moving towards Snape but not yet taking the potion, Sirius said, "Thank you. I appreciate it."

That only seemed to make Snape scowl. "I checked with Albus to ensure that it was acceptable to give this to you. He said that I should. He didn't bother to offer an explanation."

"No, he wouldn't."

Snape was blunt. "What do you intend to do with it?"

Shaking his head, Sirius said, "I can't tell you. I wish I could." It was true, actually. He did wish that he could let Snape know that he was finally doing something valuable for the Order rather than hiding away in the house.

"Of course you do," Snape sneered.

Battling down his anger at Snape's snide tone, Sirius said, "Look, Snape, I wanted to thank you. For trying to save me before." It was hard as hell to say such a thing to Snape, and the words came out awkwardly, but Sirius managed.

"What the devil are you on about?"

"When Harry told you the Death Eaters had me at the Ministry. You could have just ignored Harry's warning in the hopes that they'd off me. You didn't."

"Did the afterlife addle what was left of your mind? You weren't actually at the Ministry then."

"But you didn't know that."

Snape's voice lowered to a soft hiss. "Believe me when I say that I would have had no qualms with leaving you to die had I believed I could get away with it."

"Oh, that's just bloody lovely! I try to sincerely thank you for something and you tell me you want me dead?!"

"You sound as though this is a revelation."

Sirius was so livid that he could feel his hands shaking. "You're right," he spat. "My brains must be addled. I should've expected as much from a foul little bastard who's been up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts his whole life. Why'd you leave the Death Eaters, Snape? Decide they weren't evil enough for you?"

Snape's face went utterly pale and his hands balled into fists at his sides. "You know nothing about me, Black. _Nothing_!"

"I know more than enough."

Making a noise like an enraged kneazle, Snape hurled the potion bottle onto the sofa. Thankfully the cushions didn't allow it to break. "Take your damned potion. Sadly, it's not poisoned, but perhaps you'll choke on it."

Snape spun on his heel, swept to the fireplace, and threw far more Floo Powder in than was necessary. As he disappeared, Sirius shouted, "Fuck you, Snape!" Not his best parting shot, but it would have to do.

* * * * *

Harry had barely stepped through the Floo before Sirius grabbed him up in a fierce hug. After a few moments, Sirius drew back and held Harry at arm's length in order to get a good look at him. So like James he was, yet rapidly growing up into a fine young man with his own identity. Sirius understood that better now that he'd seen James himself on the other side of the Veil. He still couldn't look at Harry without being struck by the similarities, though.

"I can't believe Professor Dumbledore let me come visit," Harry said. "But I'm really glad he did. It's great to see you, Sirius."

"It's good to see you too, Harry. Come. Sit. I have tea and biscuits waiting. The ginger ones you like."

Beaming, Harry sat on the sofa. Sirius settled himself on the opposite end and levitated the tea tray over. "So," Sirius said, "how are things at Hogwarts? Ron and Hermione all right?"

"They're fine," Harry said as he stirred milk into his tea. "Same as always. Hermione's already worried that she's going to fail everything and is spending half her time in the library. And Ron's… not." He grinned. "Actually, Ron made Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"That's great! And how are you getting on as Captain?"

"Pretty well, I think. Some people have wanted to argue with me about my decisions, but most everybody seems all right with listening to me."

"I'm sure the team respects you. By all accounts you're a fantastic Quidditch player. Maybe even better than James." Sirius grinned.

"Heh. Thanks, Sirius."

"Have you spoken with Dumbledore recently?" Sirius prompted.

"Yes," Harry said, "and that's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Sirius tried to keep his tone casual, but he very much wanted to know whether Dumbledore had told Harry anything about the Horcruxes and what he might be doing to 'prepare' Harry for whatever was to come.

"He's given me an assignment," Harry said, not sounding at all happy about it.

Frowning, Sirius asked, "What sort of assignment?"

"He wants me to become friends with Draco Malfoy."

"Malfoy! Aren't you and he--"

"Enemies, yes," Harry said. "He broke my nose!"

"What?! When? Does Dumbledore know about this?"

"On the train to Hogwarts, and no, I haven't told Professor Dumbledore. I don't think it would make any difference," Harry concluded miserably.

"Why in the world does he want you to befriend that horrible tosser?"

Harry smirked at the insult to Malfoy, then said, "I'm not sure. I know Malfoy's up to something. I overheard him talking to some other Slytherins, and he hinted that Voldemort had given him some sort of job to do. I think it might involve fixing something."

"So you think Dumbledore wants you to find out what he's doing?"

"Maybe." Harry frowned. "But he seems to think Malfoy isn't actually all that bad, and he said Malfoy is 'very much in need of a true friend,' whatever that's supposed to mean. Sirius, you don't think he actually believes I can turn Malfoy against Voldemort, do you?"

"It seems unlikely. Draco's father is one of Voldemort's most loyal supporters. Turning against Voldemort would mean turning against his own family."

"Yeah." Harry sighed. "I don't suppose you have any ideas on how to get along with him?"

Recalling his last encounter with Snape, Sirius thought that he was probably the very last person Harry should be asking for advice. Still, he tried to come up with some words of wisdom. "Well, he's a Slytherin, right? So you can't just walk up to him and offer to put all the bickering and broken noses behind you; he'll want to know what the catch is. You'll have to be sneakier. Maybe you could arrange for him to 'overhear' that you have a secret task to perform as well. Catch his interest. Get him following you around. Something interesting should come of that."

"Makes sense, but what do I do when I actually come face to face with him?"

"Haven't a clue." Sirius shrugged. "Just try to talk with him and don't let him get under your skin when he taunts you, I suppose."

Making a face, Harry said, "This is going to be a disaster, isn't it?"

"It might." Sirius chuckled. "In any case, let me know how it goes, all right? And if he breaks your nose -- or any other part of you -- again, I'll come up there and use hexes on him that he hasn't even dreamed of."

"If he breaks my nose again, I'll hex him myself."

* * * * *

With the aid of Snape's Polyjuice Potion and Remus' hair, Sirius had been able to meet with Flitwick without raising any suspicions. He'd told Flitwick that he was conducting research for a possible book on the Founders and magic in their time, and Flitwick had cheerfully related to him the story of Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem. When pressed for further information, Flitwick had suggested that he try speaking with the Ravenclaw House ghost. He'd said the Grey Lady had always seemed to know a great deal about the Founders' era, but warned that she could be standoffish, temperamental, and fickle.

Sirius had learned where to find the ghost in question and then had allowed the effects of the Polyjuice to wear off. He'd reckoned he stood a far better chance of charming an aloof lady with his own face. Indeed, she had been remarkably susceptible to Sirius' charisma and a bit of flattery, and she'd confessed to being Rowena Ravenclaw's errant daughter and related the rest of the diadem's history in short order. The ghost had refused to reveal the diadem's precise location, but she had told Sirius that it was within the castle, 'in the room where all hidden things eventually reside.'

The riddle had initially stumped Sirius, but his confusion hadn't lasted long. As students, he and his friends had investigated every corner of the castle and its grounds. The Room of Requirement had been no secret to them. As a matter of fact, they'd originally found it on a day when McGonagall had been hot on their trail and they'd been in desperate need of a place to stash some property they'd pilfered from Snape. As if responding to their need, a door had appeared before them, and that door had led to an enormous room full of every sort of junk and jumble imaginable. They'd seen the Room in a number of incarnations over the next few years, but Sirius hadn't thought about it at all since then.

After taking a fresh dose of Polyjuice, he'd gone straight to the seventh floor, walked up and down a particular hallway, and conjured the Room of Hidden Things from memory. A Summoning Charm had brought the diadem to him directly, and he'd promptly destroyed it, and that had been the end of that moldering chunk of Tom Riddle.

By the time Sirius returned to number twelve, Grimmauld Place he was a tad tired of pretending to be Remus, but he was none the worse for wear. It was worrisome, really. The first two Horcruxes had been entirely too easy to obtain. In all probability, that meant getting to the others would be a hellish nightmare. Well, he'd just have to cross that rickety suspension bridge when he came to it.

Deciding he'd earned a bit of relaxation, Sirius settled into a comfortable chair in the drawing room with a bottle of lager and a book. He only managed to read one page before the Floo activated and out walked Snape. Upon seeing who'd entered the room, Sirius remarked, "Oh. You," then returned his eyes to the book.

"Falling back into your inebriated ways?" Snape said by way of greeting. "I knew it was only a matter of time."

"One lager? That hardly makes me a drunkard, Snape. But I dare say you could use one more than me. Might loosen you up enough for you to get that hot poker out of your arse."

"Alcohol has never helped you to get your head out of yours."

"True enough, I suppose." Sirius shrugged and turned the page.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius could see Snape's frown. "I've come to return the book I borrowed previously and pick up another, at Albus' request."

Without looking up, Sirius lifted one hand and made a shooing gesture towards the door. Snape's frown turned into a full-fledged scowl just before he turned on his heel and stalked from the room. Sirius was halfway through his lager when Snape returned with a different book under his arm. At first it appeared as though he'd leave without another word to Sirius, but he stopped halfway to the fireplace and turned back. "Albus said you were at the school today."

"Yes, I was."

"I didn't see you." Snape made it sound like an accusation.

"Well, then your Polyjuice must have worked."

"Of course it worked!" Snape snapped. "What cause did you have to be at Hogwarts?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was chatting with a ghost."

"I went to the trouble of brewing Polyjuice Potion for you so that you could use it to visit Hogwarts and _chat_ with a ghost?"

"Hmm, when you put it that way," Sirius said, "it sounds a little absurd, doesn't it?"

It seemed to take Snape a few seconds to master himself enough to speak softly. "And dare I ask what, exactly, you needed to speak with this ghost about?"

"A tiara, actually," Sirius said. "I wanted to be pretty for the next time you dropped by so you wouldn't think me -- what was the term you used? Ah, right -- slovenly." He flipped another page.

Snape opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. For a moment he looked as though he were on the verge of flying into an apoplectic fit, but at last he stomped to the Floo, flung in a handful of powder, snarled his destination, and stepped inside. As soon as he'd spun away, Sirius dropped the book and dissolved into uproarious laughter.

* * * * *

The Order meeting was far more amusing for Sirius than it should have been. The war was going poorly, Voldemort was growing more powerful by the day, and there was little good news to go around. But Sirius was far too busy being entertained by the latest development in his ongoing feud with Snape to be terribly disturbed.

Since Sirius had inadvertently discovered that he could drive Snape mad simply by not being bothered by him, he was milking it for all it was worth. Snape's main mode of attack was to taunt Sirius about his uselessness to the Order. Now that Sirius was actively doing something valuable in the fight against Voldemort, Snape's jibes no longer had any power to anger him. Snape had made his typical snide remarks at the start of the evening, but Sirius had shrugged them off. As the meeting progressed, Snape shot dark glares from the other end of the table, and Sirius smiled blandly back or ignored him entirely.

At last the gathering broke up, and the Order members said their goodbyes and began to file out of the kitchen. Snape moved to leave, but before he could step out of the room, Sirius said, "Oi, Snape. You sure you want to leave so soon? The offer of a _relaxing_ lager is still on the table."

Sirius was completely and utterly stunned when Snape replied, " _I_ don't drink. But if tea is an option, I'll stay."

Although Sirius had less than zero desire to spend the rest of his evening with Snape, he refused to allow Snape to call his bluff. "Tea is always an option," he said, then moved to put the kettle on.

Snape returned to his seat at the table where he leaned back, stretched his legs out, and looked as though he were perfectly comfortable. When Sirius drew his wand to assemble the tea things, though, Snape stiffened. It was a nearly imperceptible change, but Sirius recognized it immediately. The reaction was the same one that Snape had shown around Sirius and his friends in their school days. Sirius suppressed a smirk, pleased to know Snape wasn't as confident around him as he might appear.

Levitating the tea tray to the table and sitting across from Snape, Sirius said, "So you really don't drink?"

"No. But don't let that stop _you_." Predictably, the words were accompanied by a sneer.

"What, trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?" Sirius didn't know what had made him say such a thing, other than that he expected Snape's reaction to be fairly hilarious.

As it happened, Sirius wasn't disappointed. Snape's pallid cheeks flamed a most unattractive shade of red, and he bared his teeth. "There's not enough alcohol in all the world to induce me to touch your flea-bitten hide."

A bark of laughter escaped Sirius. "It was a joke, Snape. I'd have to be not only pissed, but also passed out cold before I'd let that happen. So," he said, "why don't you drink?"

"Some of us prefer to keep our wits about us, Black. But I forget; you never had any to begin with."

"I've more than enough wits to keep up with you. Besides," Sirius said, reaching up to fluff his own hair, "some of us have more than merely wits to rely upon."

"Dying didn't do anything to curb your arrogance or reduce your over-inflated sense of self-worth, I see." Snape poured himself a cup of tea and reached for the sugar.

Taking a cup as well, Sirius said, "You're a fine one to talk about arrogance. Pot. Cauldron."

"I'm not the one who believes himself to be indestructible and therefore above rules and caution. Speaking of which," Snape said, "made any more surreptitious visits to Hogwarts lately?"

Only Snape could couch an attempt to gain information in an insult, Sirius thought. "Nah," Sirius said. "Been busy with other things."

"Such as chasing your tail and licking yourself in inappropriate places?" Snape sipped his tea.

"Nope. I've been learning to clog dance. And once I'm hungry from all the hopping around, I've been trying my hand at making gourmet pastries."

Snape scowled. "You're not nearly as amusing as you think you are."

"So you're saying I'm at least a little bit amusing?"

"No."

"Well. There is one other thing I've been doing. It's a bit of a secret."

"Oh?" Snape appeared bored as he lifted his teacup again, but Sirius knew he was paying close attention.

Leaning in, Sirius said in a hushed, conspiratorial tone, "I've taken up knitting."

"I did not stay behind so that you could find amusement at my expense!" Snape snarled.

"No, apparently you stayed behind to try to get information from me. You really _do_ think I'm witless, don't you? I'm not going to tell you why I was at Hogwarts."

Snape drained the last of his tea, set the cup down hard, and rose from the table. "I've finished my tea. Since there's nothing else here that gives me incentive to stay, I'll be showing myself out."

For some reason, Sirius was more annoyed by that statement than anything else Snape had said to him all evening. Nonetheless, as Snape left the kitchen he made sure to call out a cheery, "Goodnight, Snape!"

* * * * *

After the Order meeting, Sirius suspected that it would be some time before he saw Snape again. As it happened, however, Snape returned to Grimmauld Place only two weeks later. Sirius was slightly astonished to see Snape step out of the Floo with a garishly wrapped package.

Looking vaguely offended at having to carry such a tacky, colorful thing, Snape held the package out and said, "For you, compliments of Albus."

"And it's not even my birthday," Sirius said, rising from his chair and taking the object from Snape.

Instead of responding to the remark, Snape said, "Your godson is up to something."

"Harry? You always think he's up to something."

"That's because he always is."

Not bothering to argue with Snape on that point, Sirius asked, "Then what makes this occasion worth mentioning?"

"He visited Draco Malfoy in the hospital wing."

"What was Draco Malfoy doing in the hospital wing in the first place?" One part of Sirius rather hoped Harry had got his revenge for the broken nose.

"He was ill, obviously. The question is, why would Potter visit him?"

It was a safe bet that it had something to do with Harry's assignment to befriend Malfoy, but clearly Dumbledore hadn't told Snape about that. "It does seem pretty odd, doesn't it?"

"It's more than merely odd. You're certain Potter didn't say anything to you that might suggest why he would visit Draco, a boy who's been his adversary since the day they met, in hospital?" Snape accompanied his question with a penetrating stare.

Sirius grinned. "There you go fishing for information again." When an angry expression began to form on Snape's face, he added, "Snape, come on. You're supposed to be a spy for _us_. Stop trying to interrogate your own side."

"You've never believed that we were on the same side of anything, Black."

With a shrug, Sirius said, "I've changed my mind." He took advantage of Snape's surprise to go on, "Look, maybe Harry wants to call a truce with Draco. Maybe he's realized he has bigger, more dangerous enemies. Maybe not everyone wants to hold onto childhood grudges their entire lives."

If Snape had looked surprised before, this time he appeared positively astonished. Still, he couldn't have been more startled at Sirius' words than Sirius himself. It certainly wasn't as though Sirius thought of Snape as anything resembling a friend. Nonetheless, his antipathy had diminished somewhere along the way, and he didn't particularly miss it.

"So," Sirius said, recovering smoothly, "how did Harry's visit go over with Draco?"

"Approximately as well as one would expect. I believe the throwing of things was involved. If Potter truly is trying to extend the hand of friendship to Draco -- which is highly implausible, by the way -- Draco is more apt to bite it off than to shake it."

"Well, he sounds like a thoroughly delightful chap."

"Indeed," Snape muttered. " _He_ is up to something, and I only know what part of it is. It's essential that I find out more, but he's been avoiding me."

"I thought you were in good with the Malfoys."

"I am," Snape said. "I was. But Draco is being stubbornly resistant to my advice and my help this time."

"Teenagers, eh?" Sirius said. "I wish I knew what to suggest."

Snape gave Sirius a peculiar look and frowned, as though he'd just realized to whom he was speaking. "Draco is a Slytherin. You've no idea how to be persuasive to a Slytherin, never mind sympathetic or courteous."

"Seems to me that Slytherins aren't especially good with sympathy or courtesy either," Sirius remarked.

"Not where Gryffindors are concerned." With that, Snape abruptly turned around and Flooed away, leaving Sirius a bit baffled for a change.

* * * * *

The front door of number twelve, Grimmauld Place slammed into the wall with a bang as Sirius crashed through it. Sirius staggered forward four steps, then bent double as another wave of pain hit him. Once the worst had passed, he gritted his teeth and continued moving into the entrance hall. He nearly made it to the stairs before another cramp knocked him off his feet and he dropped to his knees.

Gathering his strength, Sirius lifted his wand and gasped, " _Expecto Patronum_!" When a familiar, silver dog appeared, Sirius imbued it with a message and a destination. As soon as the Patronus streaked away, Sirius fell forward onto his hands and retched up a pool of vile, green liquid. After wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he began crawling towards the stairs. He had his fingers on the bottom step when he toppled onto his side and lay panting.

Contrary to what many believed, a Pensieve wasn't strictly necessary for viewing memories. Any shallow bowl or basin of a neutral, solid color would do the trick. A sturdy one was best purely so that the viewer wouldn't upend it while watching or coming out of the vision. The Black house had many such things stashed about, some of them likely for reasons Sirius preferred not to contemplate. Therefore, when Sirius had unwrapped Dumbledore's package and discovered that it contained a glass bottle filled with a swirling, foggy mass of memory, he'd been able to view it right away.

Dumbledore's attached note had read, _I believe this may suggest some likely locations for a day's excursion. Good luck!_ The memory had been one of Dumbledore's own; his first encounter with an eleven-year-old-but-still-thoroughly-creepy Tom Riddle in the Muggle orphanage where Riddle had grown up. Thinking the orphanage was a probable hiding place for a Horcrux, Sirius had begun searching what remained of the abandoned structure the following morning. When not even so much as the faintest scrap of magic had turned up by the time dusk came, he'd put away his wand and headed home.

Sirius had been just about to tell Dumbledore that his clue had been a dead end when he'd recalled that the note had said 'location _s_ '. Upon viewing the memory a second time, Sirius had caught the mention of a cave where Riddle had presumably done something to two other children from the orphanage. The reference was vague, so it had taken Sirius the better part of a week to find the precise site. There were multiple caves of all shapes and sizes in the region, but as soon as Sirius stepped into the right one he'd known he'd found the place. It had reeked of very old, very Dark magic.

The cave's defenses had been extensive and horrific but not impenetrable, as Sirius' escape with the locket proved. Still, it was only the fact that he'd had the foresight to reduce and bring along a broom that had allowed him to cling to it weakly and escape over a mass of dead, reaching arms. And of course, the wretched potion he'd been forced to drink might kill him yet.

Time ticked past; probably only minutes, but it felt like an age to Sirius as he lay on the floor, too weak to move. At last he heard the Floo activate and then Snape's voice calling to him. Sirius mustered the energy to shout, "Snape. Snape!"

Moments later, Snape appeared in the stairway. Halfway down he swore under his breath and quickened his pace. Bypassing Sirius, he went directly to the pool of fluid Sirius had spewed up and murmured an incantation over it. The liquid glowed a variety of colors. Snape cursed again and rushed to Sirius' side.

As Snape helped Sirius into a sitting position, he drew something from his pocket. "Swallow this," he said.

The object Snape held out was a small stone. "What? But--"

"Swallow it, or I'll shove it down your throat."

Knowing full well that Snape would make good on his threat, Sirius took the stone, popped it in his mouth, and forced himself to swallow. It went down painfully, but after a few moments he began to feel better.

"Good." Snape gave a satisfied nod. "Now. I'm not certain that will be a lasting solution in this case, but I believe I can brew a proper antidote. There are cauldrons in this house, I expect?"

"Kitchen," Sirius said.

"Convenient. Get up. You're coming with me so I can keep an eye on you."

"Funny; you usually can't wait for me to be out of your sight." Sirius managed a weak version of his usual devilish grin.

"Up."

Although he was still unsteady, Sirius made it to his feet and shuffled towards the door to the kitchen. When he stumbled on the stairs, Snape caught him under the arm and supported him the rest of the way down. Upon reaching the dinner table, Snape dumped him into the nearest chair and went to work.

Sirius watched in silence as Snape set up a cauldron, pulled a slew of potions ingredients from his pockets, measured, cut, combined, stirred. Finally Snape laid his stirring rod aside, set a timer, and turned to look at Sirius. "I don't suppose you'll tell me how you managed to do this to yourself?"

"I had to nick something. The owner really, really didn't want me to have it, apparently."

Snape pursed his lips but didn't inquire further.

"You might have been right about something before," Sirius said.

"I'm sure I've been right about a vast number of things, but to what, specifically, are you referring?"

"I think I really must believe I'm indestructible."

The snort that escaped Snape was halfway between derisive and amused. "You're a complete imbecile, Black."

"So I've been told."

After a pause, Snape asked, "Why did you send your Patronus to _me_? You could have contacted Albus or anyone else in the Order."

"I suppose." Sirius shrugged. "But you're the one who knows the most about poisons and antidotes. Besides, if I'd contacted Albus he'd have brought you along anyway."

"Yes, but at least he'd have been here to ensure that I didn't finish you off. What made you think I wouldn't?"

"You wouldn't leave one of ours to die like that. Even me. Especially me. You'd want the satisfaction of offing me yourself. Probably with your bare hands." Sirius flashed another smile.

"Quite."

The timing charm went off then, and Snape gave the antidote three more stirs, extinguished the flame beneath it, and ladled it into a goblet. Handing the brew to Sirius, he said, "Drink this."

Assuming Snape would happily force it down his throat as well if necessary, Sirius didn't argue. He gulped the antidote, slammed the goblet down, and pulled a face. "Ugh! That tastes worse than the poison itself did!"

"Perhaps, but it's much less likely to induce pain, vomiting, and possibly death."

"Point," Sirius said. "Thanks for that."

Without acknowledging Sirius' thanks, Snape asked, "How do you feel now?"

"Better. Just tired. Nothing a good night's sleep won't fix, I imagine."

"Then I suggest you retire for the night. I'll show myself out."

* * * * *

Sirius' prediction turned out to be spot on. After ten solid hours of sleep, Sirius awoke feeling as though he'd never drunk an entire punchbowl full of poison. As he blinked his eyes open, memory flooded in, and he recalled that there was a Horcrux in the pocket of his robes that was in need of destroying.

Instantly wide awake, Sirius threw back the covers, climbed out of bed, and shrugged into his dressing gown. Barefoot, he padded down to the drawing room where he'd tossed his robes the night before. After Snape had left, Sirius had been so drained that he'd started stripping off his clothes as he trudged up the stairs. He'd left his robes in the drawing room along the way, in part because he flat didn't want to carry them, but mainly because sleeping with a piece of malevolent soul in one's bedroom was fucking eerie.

Finding his robes where he'd left them, Sirius fished in the pockets and pulled out the locket. Now that he was able to get a good look at it, he saw that it was of simple design, smooth and unadorned. Somehow that struck Sirius as wrong. He'd expected something much more ornate. Frowning, he tried the catch and popped it open easily. There was nothing inside but a folded slip of parchment wedged in where a photo would normally be.

Sirius pried the parchment loose and unfolded it. The words carefully printed upon it stole his breath and forced him to sit down heavily on the edge of the sofa. Even had the initials not been present, Sirius would have recognized that distinctive handwriting. Regulus' handwriting.

Regulus, who Sirius had believed to be a self-righteous, pureblood rhetoric spouting, brainwashed little prick to the very end. Who Sirius had thought was a coward who couldn't stomach the reality of his poor choices and had got himself killed by the Death Eaters. In the end, he hadn't been a coward at all. He'd turned against Voldemort completely and sacrificed his own life in the hopes that he would enable another to destroy the Dark Lord. It was too much to take in at once. Sirius felt numb.

It was well past noon before he dragged himself out of his thoughts and rose from the sofa, determined to eat, shower, and get on with his day. First, however, he went in search of quill and parchment so that he could send a note. He needed to talk to Remus.

* * * * *

"I'm glad to see you too, Sirius, but you're crushing my spine." Remus said, laughing.

Sirius loosened his hold although he continued grinning like a loon. "Sorry about that," he said, although he wasn't the least bit sorry.

"What's all this about, then? Your note was rather cryptic."

"Nothing serious. Just wanted to see a friendly face." Sirius ushered Remus farther into the room. It had been just over two weeks since Sirius had sent the owl to Remus. In the intervening time, Sirius had nearly worn a rut in the rug from pacing. "Sit, have some tea. Would you like lunch?"

"Tea now, perhaps dinner later?"

"Excellent plan. To the kitchen then?"

"Lead on," Remus said. As they started walking, he asked, "So I take it no one's been around lately?"

"Not a soul. It's a good thing you showed up. I was getting so bored that I was almost ready to settle for Snape!"

"Now that _would_ have been unfortunate." Remus chuckled.

"For all parties involved, I imagine," Sirius said as they entered the kitchen. Of course, their last encounter had been quite the opposite for him.

Remus took a seat at the long table while Sirius moved to start the tea. "I don't know, you two seemed awfully chummy at the meeting last month," Remus teased.

"Remus old friend, you do have a gift for exaggeration," Sirius said. "Nah, I've just found new and better ways to drive him barmy."

"Old dog, new tricks?"

"Hey, watch it with the old! There's still plenty of life left in me. The Veil thought so, didn't it? Damned thing spit me right back out."

Smirking, Remus said, "You probably gave it indigestion."

Sirius threw a biscuit at Remus, thus proving his not-so-advanced age.

Once Sirius was seated across from Remus and they each had a cup of tea in their hands, Remus asked, "So, why did you really want me to come?"

"Just wanted to talk about some things." Sirius shrugged, then looked off to the side. "I suppose you could say the past came back to haunt me."

The teacup in Remus' hands stopped halfway to his lips. "How so?"

"I can't tell you how I know this, but… I found out that Regulus didn't die the way we always thought he did."

Remus' voice was quiet. "Then how… ?"

"He didn't just try to get out. He turned against that side so completely that he sacrificed himself in order to weaken Voldemort." Saying the words aloud somehow made Sirius feel proud of Regulus.

Setting his cup down, Remus nodded. He appeared as though he wanted to ask questions but knew that Sirius couldn't give any more details.

"Remus," Sirius said, "why didn't he come to us? We could have helped him."

"I don't know." Remus shook his head.

"Do you think it was because I was too hard on him? Maybe if I hadn't told him he was no longer my brother and I never wanted anything more to do with him he'd have contacted me."

"I don't think so," Remus said slowly. "You told him those things because of his pureblood politics and because he intended to join the Death Eaters. If you'd known that he'd turned against Voldemort, you'd have forgiven him. He must have known you well enough to know that."

"He also knew how well I hold a grudge." Sirius' smile was wry.

"It wasn't your fault," Remus said, his voice firm. "And it's not good to dwell on 'what ifs' and 'might have beens'. We have far too many of those."

"Merlin, and isn't that the truth." Sirius gave a sharp shake of his head. Remus was right, of course. Fixating on events so long past was fruitless and draining. Needing to put the matter out of his thoughts for a while, he said, "Anyway, enough of that. Tell me what you've been up to since the last time we talked."

* * * * *

Christmas hols came, and number twelve, Grimmauld Place was once again busy with the comings and goings of Harry, Hermione, numerous Weasleys, and a handful of Order members. As anxious as Sirius was to find the remaining Horcruxes, he had no leads as to their locations yet, and it was nice to have a brief reprieve from worrying about them. And as always, he looked forward to the opportunity to spend time with Harry.

With all the commotion of the season, it was a few days before things calmed down and Sirius was able to talk with Harry alone. Everyone else had retreated to their various family homes at last, and Sirius and Harry were the only ones in the house. The warm light from the fireplace glinted off their butterbeer bottles and the blinking holiday decorations lit up the edges of the room in random patterns while they chatted late that night.

"Is it just my imagination," Sirius said, "or are things a bit tense between Ron and Hermione?"

"Heh. That's one way to put it," Harry said.

The corners of Sirius' mouth twitched up in amusement. "What's happened this time?"

"What's happened is that Ron started dating Lavender Brown. Though I'm not sure 'dating' is the right word, actually. It's more like he's sticking his tongue in Lavender Brown's mouth regularly."

Sirius gave a bark of laughter. "I'm sure Hermione's quite thrilled with that."

"She attacked him with a flock of canaries."

The mental image that Harry's words invoked nearly made Sirius spit butterbeer all over himself. "She never!"

"Oh, yes, she did. Meanwhile Ron's peeved about Hermione being peeved. Also, Hermione might or might not be seeing someone, and that makes Ron even more peeved, which I imagine is the point."

"Ah, they'll get it all sorted one of these days. James and Lily did, after all."

"I just hope they do it before they drive me 'round the twist," Harry said.

"Well, if they become too intolerable you can always leave them to it and start spending more time with your new mate, Draco."

Harry groaned and beat his head against the back of his chair.

"It's going that well, is it?"

"Probably even worse. Remember I told you before that I overheard Snape offering to help him? Well, I tried to talk to him after that. Told him I'd seen Snape giving him a hard time. I said I was too far away to hear what they were saying, though. Anyway, I sort of tried to sympathize, since Snape's been so awful to me all these years."

"And he didn't appreciate that, I take it."

"Not so much," Harry said. "He told me to mind my own business and then called me several colorful things. About what I expected, really, but I had to try." He shrugged.

"Yes," Sirius said. "You had to try, and you have to keep trying. And not just because you want to find out what he's up to."

Giving Sirius a peculiar look, Harry asked, "What do you mean?"

"Draco's young, Harry. He could still be prevented from making a terrible mistake. Well, any more terrible mistakes." Sirius gave a wry smile. "He needs to know he has other options. There must be many who would leave Voldemort if they thought they had anywhere else to turn."

Briefly, Harry seemed to consider that, then he asked, "Do you really think Snape's on our side? Even after what I heard him say to Malfoy?"

Sirius had been thinking of Regulus when he'd spoken, but he was startled to realize that his words might have applied to Snape as well. "Yes, I do."

"But you hate him! You're always telling him you don't trust him."

"I don't hate him." Harry gave Sirius an incredulous look, but before he could speak Sirius went on, "Oh, don't get me wrong. I still think he's a colossal arse. But I do trust him." He didn't know how he could possibly explain more to Harry without telling him far too much. Shrugging, he simply said, "Things change."

"Yeah," Harry said. "You've changed since last year."

"That's not a bad thing, I hope."

"No! No, it's good. You're not… I mean, you're more…"

It was obvious that Harry was struggling to find a tactful way of telling Sirius he was less mad, drunk, and volatile than he'd been at this time a year ago. Sirius laughed at the expression on Harry's face. "I know what I'm more and less of, you don't have to say it," he said, letting Harry off the hook.

Looking relieved, Harry said, "Well. It's a good thing." He grinned. "I'd definitely still run into the Veil after you."

Chuckling, Sirius said, "Let's hope that won't be necessary."

* * * * *

The holidays ended, and it was mid-January when Sirius entered the drawing room to find Snape standing in front of the Floo, looking dazed and swaying a little. It was definitely not typical behavior for Snape. Alarmed, Sirius rushed forward and asked, "What's wrong?"

With an incredulous snort, Snape said, "Wha's wrong? Ev'erthing." He tottered farther into the room and stumbled. Sirius gave him a strategic shove in the right direction so that he landed on the sofa rather than the floor.

"You're drunk," Sirius observed.

"You're a prat," Snape retorted.

Sirius ignored the insult. "I thought you said you didn't drink."

"I don't."

"Then why do you smell like a distillery?"

"I assure you there's a perfec'ly lozical eshplanation," Snape said. Then he leaned forward and vomited on Sirius' shoes.

"Well. That's different," Sirius remarked. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he drew his wand and Vanished the mess. "Kreacher!" he called.

Appearing in the room, Kreacher bowed low to Sirius. "Master Sirius called Kreacher?" he said. In a mutter, he added, "Disturbed Kreacher's rest Master did, the nasty blood traitor."

Sirius rolled his eyes. It wasn't as though he called on Kreacher often. As a matter of fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd asked the wretch for anything at all. By unspoken agreement, they'd developed a policy of mutual avoidance since Sirius' return from the Veil. At the moment, however, Sirius didn't think he should leave Snape alone long enough to go to the kitchen himself. "Bring us coffee." He glanced at Snape who was wobbling a bit. "Strong coffee."

As Kreacher popped out of sight, Sirius sat down on the opposite end of the sofa from Snape, prepared to catch him and prop him up if need be. Snape remained upright, and Kreacher soon returned with the coffee.

Setting the tray within Sirius' reach, Kreacher asked, "Does Master want anything else from Kreacher?"

Before Kreacher could add another offensive remark, Sirius said, "No, that'll be all."

Kreacher wandered away mumbling to himself, and Sirius turned his attention to pouring the coffee. He recalled that Snape took sugar in his tea, so he spooned some into Snape's cup, assuming he'd probably want it in his coffee as well. Then he passed the cup over and held onto it until he was sure Snape had a good grip on it.

Cradling the cup in both hands, Snape took a sip. Satisfied, Sirius said, "Now. What's happened to drive you to drink? The Malfoy kid still being uncooperative?"

"Obstun… Obstunin… Stubborn brat!" Snape said. "Looks like he could keel over from the stress any day, but will he assept help? Noooooo! 'Steal his glory,' indeed!" He snorted and raised his cup again.

"He actually _said that_?"

"Trying to save his spoiled arse, more like, not to mention mine." Snape drank more coffee, dribbling a little onto his robes, then abruptly shouted, "Dumbledore!"

Eyebrows shooting up to his hairline, Sirius said, "Uh, what?"

"Dumbledore," Snape repeated. "Manilula… Scheming old goat. Doesn't care what happens to _me_ , 'course not. 'M already tainted. Takes me for granted. Assumes I'll do whatever he wants. Bastard."

When his rant wound down, Snape drained the last of his coffee. He reached to set the cup on the end table beside him, but he missed it entirely, and the cup clunked to the floor. Sirius didn't bother to retrieve it. Instead he said, "You could always tell him to piss off, you know."

For a few seconds, Snape looked at Sirius as though he'd sprouted feathers. Then he heaved a sigh and slid sideways, allowing his head to thump against the sofa's armrest.

"Right, then," Sirius said. "I think that's about all for you." He rose from the couch, intending to leave Snape to pass out on his own, then paused. "Snape," he said, "why'd you come here tonight? I mean, why here?"

"S'not like I have many options, is it?" Snape said, a strange echo of Sirius' own previous thoughts. "You have fifty other rooms in this place to hide in if I'm so offensive to your sens'bilities." In his current state, the words sounded more petulant than biting.

"That's a fine thing to say to someone who just gave you coffee and made sure you didn't fall nose-first into it," Sirius said, amused. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not fleeing in horror."

"Yes," Snape said, and he gave Sirius a peculiar look that he couldn't quite read. "You get it." With that, his eyes slid shut.

As he looked down at Snape, Sirius was struck by how different he appeared like this. The lines in his face relaxed in repose, and instead of looking angry and harsh, he only seemed small and vulnerable. With a defeated sigh, Sirius pulled Snape's shoes off, then lifted his legs up onto the sofa so that he was lying properly. As an afterthought, he Summoned a blanket and laid it over Snape. Then he put out the lights and trudged off to bed.

* * * * *

When Sirius got up the following morning, he was not at all surprised to find that Snape was already gone. Presumably he'd fled back to his chambers to nurse a tremendous hangover or cower in shame -- or quite likely both. All in all, Sirius was fairly amazed when Snape returned as quickly as he did.

A week after Snape's unintended sleepover, the Floo activated unexpectedly. Sirius went to investigate and found Snape standing in front of the fireplace, posture rigid and expression inscrutable. "Snape." Sirius nodded in greeting. "What brings you here?"

Snape's words sounded forced as he said, "I want to, ah, explain about my state last week. I told you the truth when I said that I don't drink. That night was an aberration and one that I assure you will not be repeated."

Evidently that was Snape's idea of an apology. Well, it was a start, Sirius supposed. Still, he couldn't resist giving Snape a hard time. "Obviously it was an aberration, because you can't hold your liquor at all, judging by how quickly you heaved on my shoes."

Scowling, Snape said, "I've had better things to do with my time than become a world-class piss artist like you, Black."

Sirius rolled his eyes. Snape never had been able to take a joke. "You know, you could at least thank me for cleaning up your sick and letting you sleep it off on my sofa."

"Fine," Snape ground out. "Thank you for not tossing me out on my intoxicated arse."

"Actually, I think I prefer your arse when it's intoxicated. Makes you almost tolerable."

Going from mortified to livid, Snape said, "I did not come here for you to mock me!"

"I'm not mocking you. Well, okay, maybe I'm teasing a bit. But you're hardly the first person to over imbibe and do something they regretted."

"I just hope I didn't do anything… too regrettable."

"You don't remember?" Sirius' eyebrows went up.

"I. Some of it is a little unclear."

Nearly doubling over with laughter, Sirius gasped, "Oh, that's priceless!"

His eyes narrowing, Snape said, "If I revealed anything I shouldn't have, I trust you will be very careful to not relay it to anyone, intentionally or otherwise. If you cannot guarantee that, I shall be forced to Obliviate you." As if to emphasize his point, Snape's hand went to his pocket and wrapped around his wand.

"Relax," Sirius said. You didn't tell me anything in the way of Order business that I didn't already know. Apparently you play your cards close to the vest even when pissed as a newt."

Snape's relief was clearly visible. In fact, he seemed a little too relieved. Sirius saw his chance to have some fun with Snape, and although he knew he shouldn't, the opportunity was simply too good to pass up. So he said, "As for revealing other things, though…"

Stiffening again, Snape said, "What do you mean?"

A wicked grin crept across Sirius' face. "I realize I'm generally irresistible, but I never would have guessed my charms had any effect on you."

Eyes narrowing, Snape asked, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I know all about your, ah, impure thoughts about me."

Snape backed up a step. "I never!" His protest was adamant, but a vivid flush was spreading across his cheeks even as he spoke.

Now that was interesting. Snape's reaction definitely demanded further investigation. Taking a step forward to match Snape's movement, Sirius said, "There's no point in denying it now. I heard it from your own lips. _In vino veritas_ , isn't that the phrase?"

"More like insanity in intoxication. Absurdity in alcohol."

Without speaking, Sirius prowled towards Snape.

"Black, you of all people should know that anything a person says while drunk must be taken with an entire sack full of salt!"

Sirius wondered whether Snape realized that he'd taken a second step backwards. "Give it up, Snape. You want me." The odd thing, the completely inconceivable thing was that it was so obviously true. Never in a hundred years would Sirius have guessed such a thing were possible. He knew he should back down, tell Snape that it was only a joke and laugh it off, but some part of him wanted to see just how far this would go.

"Truly, your arrogance has reached new levels of absurdity," Snape hissed.

Refusing to retreat further from Sirius, Snape planted his feet. Sirius didn't stop advancing, and when he stepped in close to Snape he could practically feel Snape quivering with tension. "What sort of fantasies do you have about me, I wonder? When you picture me naked, do you like what you see? Do you imagine me on my hands and knees? Bet you'd love that, wouldn't you, me kneeling before you? Do you bite? Do you want to find out if I do?"

By the time Sirius finished talking, Snape was breathing hard. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Fuck you, Black."

"One step at a time," Sirius said just before he grabbed Snape by the front of his robes and crushed their lips together. He hadn't even realized he was going to do it until it happened. Now that it had, though, he knew he wanted it. He couldn't deny that, not with his pulse racing and his blood rushing south fast enough to make his head spin. There were sure to be unfortunate implications and consequences, but he'd deal with those later.

For two heartbeats, three, Snape remained stiff and unyielding, not responding at all. Then his fingers clamped onto Sirius' robes like talons and he yanked Sirius closer. Growling into Snape's mouth, Sirius walked forward until Snape's back slammed into the cabinet to the left of the fireplace. Instead of protesting the rough treatment, Snape seized a handful of Sirius' hair and held his head in place.

Snape's lips were not soft and they were not pliant. The meeting of tongues and teeth was not so much a kiss as a battle, a dare, a challenge for each to keep up with the other. It was rough and sloppy and unskilled, and it was oh so very good. Sirius thrust his hips against Snape's and grunted as their erections rubbed together through layers of clothing. The realization that Snape was as hard as he was drove Sirius nearly beyond reason, and he bucked into Snape again, and again. Snape made a startled noise and seemed to forget to breathe for an instant. Then he sucked in a harsh breath and rocked against Sirius, increasing the friction.

Before Sirius had time to register what was happening, Snape surged towards him and away from the cabinet. With Sirius caught off balance, Snape was able to spin him to the side and force him against the adjacent wall. Rather than fighting it, Sirius used the maneuver and Snape's momentum to full advantage. Wedging his leg between Snape's, he grabbed Snape by the arse and hauled him forward. Snape immediately buried his face in Sirius' neck and began rutting against his thigh, fast and rough. Sirius swore and ground himself into Snape's hip, and everything narrowed down to pushing, thrusting, snarling, panting heat.

A jolt shot through Sirius when Snape clamped his teeth down on his shoulder. _Oh. He_ does bite, Sirius thought, and that was all it took. Sirius threw his head back against the wall, shouted a strangled, " _Fuck_ ," and came in a dizzying rush. He continued pulling Snape to him over and over as his release pulsed from him until, abruptly, Snape went still. He didn't make a sound, but a tremor ran though his body, and Sirius was sure Snape's robes had just become as sticky as his own.

Slumping back against the wall, Sirius took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Before he could even regain his bearings, Snape jerked away and began straightening his clothes. The sudden loss of shared body heat made Sirius feel cold. Still, he laughed and said, "Good Godric, I haven't come in my pants like that since I was a fourth year!"

"Typical Gryffindor. No self control."

"Hey, give me some credit! It's been thirteen years! And anyway, bit of a hypocrite, aren't you? It's not like you did much better than me."

"Did it occur to you that perhaps I wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible?"

"Oh, please." Sirius rolled his eyes and stepped away from the wall. "You wanted it as much as I did. I know it, and you know it."

"You only _think_ you know what I want because I apparently said some foolish things while drunk."

"Nah, you didn't."

Snape froze. "What?"

"You didn't confess anything. I was just taking the piss." Sirius shrugged. "I reckoned you'd tell me I was an idiot and that would be the end of it, but then… it actually turned out to be true. Who'd have guessed?"

His hands clenching into fists at his sides, Snape said, "This doesn't mean _anything_! The fact that I find you physically desirable means only that and nothing else. This was a profound lapse in judgment and it will not happen again." With that, Snape turned and Flooed away as quickly as he could.

Sirius sighed. There were those consequences rearing their ugly heads already.

* * * * *

Turning the locket over in his hands, Sirius stared at it as though he would find the answers to all of his questions reflected in its surface. He'd had it for more than two months, but still he hadn't fully come to terms with everything that it represented. There were so many things he would say to Regulus, would ask him if only they could have one more hour together.

Sirius couldn't help picturing his younger brother -- so very young then -- entering the wretched cave and going through the trials to capture the real Horcrux. The potion in the basin had been the worst by far. The pain and sickness caused by the vile stuff was nothing to its other effects. It had made Sirius relive the worst moments of his life, of which there were quite a few. He'd experienced James and Lily's deaths, Peter's betrayal, and the years in Azkaban all over again. He wondered what Regulus had seen when he'd drunk the potion, and he hoped Regulus' worst memories had been less painful than his own.

In more practical matters, Sirius wondered where in the world the real Horcrux was. Had Regulus succeeded in destroying it? Or was it resting at the bottom of a lake full of Inferi? Or was it somewhere else entirely? And how could Sirius possibly find out?

A harsh gasp jerked Sirius out of his reverie, and he looked up to find a wide-eyed Kreacher wringing his hands and staring at him. "M-Master Sirius!" he wailed. "Master Sirius has Master Regulus' locket!"

Sitting bolt upright, Sirius said, "You know this locket? How? Tell me!"

"Cannot! Kreacher cannot tell the secret!" Kreacher pulled at his ears.

"Tell me, damn it! I'm your master and you must tell me!"

"Kreacher was there," he croaked. "Kreacher was there when Master Regulus put it in the cave."

"What?!" Sirius came up out of his chair. "You were with Regulus? How? Why?"

Kreacher let out a wretched sob. "Kreacher did not want to go back. Kreacher did not want to leave Master Regulus in that awful place. But Master Regulus gave Kreacher his orders. Kreacher had to obey!"

Dropping to his knees, Sirius grabbed Kreacher by the shoulders and shook him. "Tell me what you know, damn you!" Kreacher only gave a miserable wail. Realizing he wasn't helping the situation by being as frantic as Kreacher, Sirius loosened his hold. He took a deep breath, forced himself to relax, and said, "Kreacher. Calm down now and tell me what happened. Take your time and start from the beginning."

Sniffling and gulping down another sob, Kreacher whispered, "It was _him_. The Dark Lord. The Dark Lord took Kreacher to the cave and used Kreacher to test it. Horrible! Horrible!"

"But you escaped? How?"

"A house-elf is bound to his Master. He must obey his Master's commands. Master Regulus commanded Kreacher to return when The Dark Lord was finished with Kreacher. So Kreacher did."

"Huh." It sounded so simple, but the implications were boggling. Sirius realized then what Kreacher's return had to mean. "It was you. You're the one who told Regulus about the cave. You're the reason he knew."

Kreacher began sobbing harder than before. "Yes! It was all Kreacher's fault! All Kreacher's fault Master Regulus is dead!"

As much as Sirius wanted to agree with Kreacher and punish him for every lost year of Regulus' life, he knew that Kreacher had likely had no choice but to tell Regulus what had happened. "Kreacher. Kreacher, stop! Regulus made you show him the cave. So he could switch out the lockets? Why? What happened there?"

It took Kreacher several long moments to compose himself, but finally he managed to say, "Master Regulus would not let Kreacher drink the poison. Kreacher tried, but Master Regulus insisted that he would drink it instead. Master Regulus commanded Kreacher to take the locket and destroy it."

Sirius could scarcely believe what he was hearing. It was too much to process just then, so Sirius mentally filed it away to be dealt with later. For now, he focused on the essential matter. "Did you? Destroy the locket?"

A piteous sound escaped Kreacher. "No! Kreacher could not!"

"Then what happened to it?" Sirius' heart was pounding.

"Master Regulus… Master Regulus made Kreacher promise never to tell. It is a secret."

"Kreacher." Sirius bent low to look directly into Kreacher's watery, red eyes. "I want to finish what my brother started. I need to destroy the locket. Where is it?"

For another few seconds, Kreacher hesitated, and then he whispered, "Kreacher has it. Kreacher kept it safe."

Sirius' heart nearly leapt out of his chest. "Give it to me! Kreacher, you must give it to me."

"Master Sirius truly wants to destroy it?"

"Yes."

Nodding, Kreacher shuffled from the room. Several long minutes passed during which time Sirius paced restlessly, but at last Kreacher returned with the Horcrux cupped in his hands. He lifted it slowly, reverently, and entrusted it to Sirius. "Thank you, Kreacher," Sirius said. Kreacher only nodded again and popped away.

* * * * *

"Harry," Dumbledore said, "I'm afraid we must ask something of you. I believe it will be quite a simple task but also a very important one."

"All right," Harry said, his tone solemn. "What do you need me to do?"

After Kreacher had given him Slytherin's locket, Sirius had quickly realized that it couldn't be opened by normal means and that the Horcrux was protected within. Once he'd exhausted his own ideas, he'd contacted Dumbledore with the problem. Dumbledore had come to the conclusion that only a Parselmouth would be able to open the locket, so after a good deal of discussion, Harry had been called to the Headmaster's office.

Holding the locket up for Harry's inspection, Dumbledore asked, "Do you recognize this, Harry?"

Eyes widening, Harry said, "Yes! It's Slytherin's locket! I remember it from the memory you showed me." Sirius decided he'd be sure to ask Harry what sort of memories Dumbledore had been showing him and why.

"For a reason we cannot divulge to you at this time," Dumbledore said, "we need to destroy what is contained inside. However, we believe we need you to open it for us."

Harry frowned. "You can't just open it yourself?"

"No, I cannot. It must be opened, I believe, with a skill that I do not possess. A skill for which Salazar Slytherin was known and which you share."

Understanding crossed Harry's face and he nodded. "All right. Sounds easy enough."

Rising from his chair, Dumbledore made his way around the desk and towards Harry. "I'd rather you didn't touch it. I'll just lay it on the floor, shall I?" He did so and then stepped back. "Once it's open, I'd like for you to move away from it as quickly as possible."

"All right," Harry said. "Now?"

"Please."

As he gazed down at the locket, a look of intense concentration formed on Harry's face. When he opened his mouth next, the sounds that came out were not like any words Sirius had ever heard before, but an eerie hiss of sibilant sounds. There was a click and the locket popped open wide, revealing a dark eye blinking up at them.

"I believe this should do the trick," Dumbledore said, and when Sirius turned his head to look at him, he was holding Godric Gryffindor's sword out to Sirius.

Sirius took the sword, wrapped both hands around the hilt, and held it above the eye, prepared to stab. Before he could bring the sword down, however, a high voice rose out of the locket. " _Sirius Black, you know not what you are doing at the order of another. But I can show you. I can help you understand._

"Destroy it now, Sirius." Dumbledore's voice was calm.

" _Always taking his orders, and why? He is no more wise than you. He cannot, does not protect anyone. For years you've followed the commands of he who would use his so-called friends as mere pawns in his deadly game._ "

"Sirius? Sirius, kill it!" Harry called.

" _Poor Harry Potter, your godson. He does not realize what this man would so casually have him do._ " Out of the locket flowed colors, an image. A vision of Sirius, Harry, Remus, and Snape lying upon the ground, bloody and dying. Dumbledore stood over them all, his expression cold and unfeeling. " _You, Harry Potter, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape. He cares nothing for any of you._ "

"I've heard enough of your poison!" Sirius snarled. He lifted Gryffindor's sword high and plunged its tip down into the eye with all of his strength. The locket shattered, the Horcrux gave a long, piercing shriek, and that fragment of Voldemort was no more. Sirius handed the sword back to Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Sirius," Dumbledore said, his tone grave.

Looking over at Harry, Sirius said, "You all right?"

"Yeah, I think so. What _was_ that thing?" Harry asked, looking back and forth between Sirius and Dumbledore. "Was that--"

"Something Voldemort would not want destroyed," Dumbledore said. "I'm sorry, Harry, but it would be hazardous to explain right now."

Harry's eyes flashed with anger. "You called me in to help, and you won't even tell me what we just did?"

"Harry," Sirius said, "you know that I normally believe you have a right to know as much as anyone else in the Order, perhaps even more. But in this case, I have to agree with Albus. The less you know the better. I promise I'll explain everything to you when it's safe." Truthfully, Sirius didn't like it any more than Harry did, but he was well aware of the necessity of it.

"You will be told," Dumbledore said, "and I expect it will be sooner rather than later. But for now I must ask that you be very careful to keep what you've seen to yourself. It would imperil Sirius and jeopardize our efforts against Voldemort if he were to discover what we've done here this evening."

After glancing at Sirius, Harry said, "All right." He sounded displeased but resigned. "Just be sure to explain it to me before what I don't know gets me into trouble."

Dumbledore smiled at that. "I certainly will. For now, however, I believe it's time for you to return to Gryffindor Tower."

Stepping up to Harry, Sirius said, "We'll talk again soon, yeah? I'm sure Professor Dumbledore can arrange another visit." It was a bit underhanded, but Sirius reckoned Dumbledore owed him and Harry at least that much.

"All right," Harry said. "It was great seeing you, Sirius." He gave Sirius a tight hug and then left the office.

Once Harry was out of sight, Dumbledore looked at the shattered remains of the locket and murmured, "Most enlightening."

"It lied, you realize," Sirius said. "I don't actually believe the things it said about you. It was a filthy piece of Voldemort, and it lied."

"Yes, it did," Dumbledore said. "But not about everything." Rather than sounding upset, however, Sirius could swear Dumbledore was amused.

* * * * *

"You've been avoiding me," Sirius said.

It had taken an Order meeting to force Snape to return to Grimmauld Place. At least it seemed that way since the meeting was the first time Snape had been in the house since his and Sirius' rather intimate encounter. When the gathering had broken up, Snape had tried to make a swift escape, but Sirius had anticipated the move. He now stood, feet planted and arms crossed, blocking Snape's access to the Floo.

"You say this as though it's unusual," Snape said, sneering.

"Actually, it is. You haven't actively avoided me in quite some time."

"If you'll step aside, I shall remedy that directly."

Snape had fully returned to his snide, impenetrable demeanor, and Sirius had no patience for it. "Come on, we were getting along just fine until you decided to run away with your tail tucked between your legs."

"Save the canine metaphors for yourself, Black. And you seriously call slamming each other into walls and leaving bruises 'getting along'?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Rough or not, I'm not in the habit of having it off with people I don't like." And Sirius did like Snape. It hadn't quite occurred to him in those terms, but the false images that the Horcrux had shown him had made it clear. The inclusion of a wounded and dying Snape could only mean that, somewhere along the way, Sirius had started to care about what happened to him.

"I don't want you to _like_ me, especially not if it's given you the misguided conception that _I_ like _you_."

With a lopsided smile, Sirius said, "Ah, but you do like me, Snape. You just don't want to admit it. Want to know how I know?"

"Not in the least."

Sirius told him anyway. "You came to me when you were drunk."

"I was _drunk_ , Black. Judgment impaired, not myself, not in my right mind _drunk_."

"Precisely. You were three sheets to the wind and angry and frustrated, and you chose to come to _me_ to unload. Both figuratively and literally. You wouldn't have done that if you didn't trust and, yes, like me," Sirius concluded, his tone triumphant.

"Complete bollocks!" Snape insisted. "However. I might be willing to concede that perhaps I no longer entirely loathe you with every fiber of my being."

"Excellent!" Sirius grinned. "Now that we've established our mutual lack of hatred, why don't you stay a while?"

"What ever for?" Snape crossed his arms. It looked like a challenge to Sirius.

Sauntering over to Snape, Sirius said, "Well, I was originally going to suggest tea, but I see that I might need to offer greater incentive." He came to a stop and ran a finger down the front of Snape's robes. "Fancy a repeat of our last encounter?"

Snape's voice wavered as he replied, "I most certainly do not."

"Hmm. I'm not convinced." Sirius slipped one hand around the back of Snape's neck and yanked him into a kiss. Snape responded instantly, parting his lips and allowing Sirius access. A thrill of victory sped through Sirius and went straight to his groin. Groaning, Sirius pushed his tongue between Snape's teeth. He was relentless in his claiming of Snape's mouth, and when he pulled away at last, they were both breathing hard. "Shall we do with a bit less slamming and bruising this time?"

In reply, Snape lunged at Sirius and forced him backwards all the way to the fireplace until the mantle bit into his back.

"Perhaps not," Sirius said.

If that was the way Snape wanted it, Sirius could certainly deliver. Taking fistfuls of Snape's clothing in turn, he spun them to the side and used his body to pin Snape to the cabinet. Sirius buried his face in Snape's neck, growling low in his throat as he breathed in the heady scent of lust and need. A lick and a bite from Sirius was all it took for Snape to begin bucking his hips, frotting wildly against him.

They fell into the same frantic rhythm as before, and again the friction, the heat, the near-pain was exquisite. It would have been so easy for Sirius to lose himself in it, to thrust and thrust until the coil in his belly snapped. This time, though, he at least wanted to get their cocks out before they made a sticky mess of themselves.

Not giving Snape a chance to protest, Sirius drew his wand and cast the spell to unfasten every button, hook, buckle, or tie on their robes. "Black! What--" was all Snape managed before Sirius tossed his wand aside and shoved his hand down Snape's pants. When Sirius wrapped his fingers around Snape's length, Snape's words dissolved into a sharp hiss through clenched teeth.

The weight, the hard-softness of Snape's cock in Sirius' grip was incredible. With his other hand Sirius extracted his own prick, and he began tugging them both to the same frenzied beat. Another hiss came from Snape, and he pulled Sirius' hair and raked his nails down Sirius' chest.

Jerking forward, Sirius pushed his cock against Snape's and wrapped his hands around them both, squeezing them together and stroking them as one. Snape's shaft burned alongside Sirius', their foreskins rubbed together, and mingled precome aided the slide of skin on skin. Sirius whined like a hungry dog at the intensity, the heat of it. Snape simply melted into the wall and rocked up into Sirius' fist as Sirius worked them faster, faster.

Abruptly, Sirius felt Snape tense. Then he pulsed wildly in Sirius' hands and hot semen spurted onto Sirius, nearly up to his chest. Again Snape didn't make a sound, but his spine arched at an incredible angle with the force of his climax. "Ohgodfuck," Sirius groaned. It was all too much; Snape's teeth bared, Snape's eyes clamped shut, Snape's come on his hands. Releasing Snape, Sirius tugged at himself, hard, fast, rough. In seconds he was throwing his head back and shouting his climax to the ceiling.

Once spent, Sirius let out a satisfied groan and slumped against Snape. Almost immediately Snape pushed him off and drew his wand to spell away the mess. A bit put out, Sirius followed suit.

"Well, Black," Snape said as he buttoned up his robes. "I suppose I should thank you for a reasonably pleasant end to an otherwise tedious and depressing evening."

"Only reasonably pleasant? Gee, Snape, you sure know how to flatter a bloke."

"Your ego doesn't need any more inflating. Besides," Snape added, smirking, "you can consider it incentive to try harder next time."

"Stick around a little longer and I'll show you how a Gryffindor handles a challenge of that sort." Sirius flashed a sly smile and moved towards Snape.

Sidestepping Sirius' attempt to grab him, Snape said, "Some of us have to teach children how to slice flobberworms ridiculously early in the morning."

Pulling a face, Sirius said, "Now there's an erection killer if I ever heard one."

"Quite." With his clothing put to rights, Snape stepped up to the fireplace. He took a handful of Floo Powder, but before he threw it in, he looked back at Sirius and said, "Still, I imagine you'll have another opportunity to demonstrate your prowess soon enough." He didn't sound nearly as disgusted with himself as he could have.

* * * * *

It was a week before Snape returned, and Sirius suspected he'd waited that long just to prove he could. Sirius, however, didn't feel the need to make any similar point, so he attacked Snape with a snog and a grope the minute he came though the Floo. Snape responded much as he'd done the time before, and what occurred in the following several minutes left them in a sweaty, sticky heap on the sofa.

Sirius was fully prepared to tackle Snape and hold him down if he made an immediate dash for the Floo, but it turned out not to be necessary. As soon as they were done, Snape put distance between them, cleaned himself up, and refastened his robes, but he remained seated. Deciding it was safe to relax, Sirius cast a cursory _Tergeo_ on himself and settled back into the sofa.

"Sticking around for another go?" Sirius said. "I must have been a bit better than 'reasonably pleasant' this time eh?"

"Believe it or not, Black, I did come here for reasons other than to be mauled by you."

"If there was any mauling taking place, I dare say you did your fair share. I'm going to have a spectacular bruise on my hip tomorrow, I'll have you know."

"Self-defense," Snape said, smirking.

"You were using completely the wrong wand for that."

Snape groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should have known you'd stoop to puerile 'wand' jokes eventually."

"You can't actually expect me to come up with something witty at a time like this."

"I don't expect you to come up with anything witty ever."

Snickering, Sirius said, "Clearly you don't keep coming back because you like me for my mind."

"I don't like you at all."

Sirius grinned. "Liar."

Apparently Snape was unable to refute that. He opened his mouth, snapped it shut, and scowled. Sirius' grin widened.

Before Sirius had a chance to say anything further on the subject, Snape said, "As I told you, I did come for a reason that has nothing to do with your questionable charm." His gaze slid down Sirius' body, still exposed, to emphasize his last words.

"All right, all right." Sirius tossed his hands up in surrender. "What is it?"

"I've discovered," Snape began as his eyes roamed over Sirius again. "That is, I've been in the position to overhear…." Snape's gaze lingered on Sirius' flaccid cock. Shaking his head, he said, "Must you be quite so… naked?"

Giving Snape a lascivious look, Sirius said, "Am I distracting you?" When Snape shot him a glare, Sirius rolled his eyes and pulled his robes closed. "Better?"

"In every conceivable way. Now, as I was saying. I don't know what it is Albus has you doing. And no," Snape held up his hand, "I don't expect you to tell me. But I've pieced together enough to know that you're looking for something, and I have some information that might assist you in finding it."

Suddenly focused, Sirius sat up straight and said, "I'm listening."

"Bellatrix Lestrange has been boasting lately that the Dark Lord has entrusted her with the care of an object he values. She hasn't indicated what the item is, but remarks she's made lead me to believe that she's stored it in her vault at Gringotts."

Sirius' heart skipped a beat. It seemed as though Snape had stumbled across exactly the information he needed. With a bark of laughter, he said, "Snape, I could kiss you!" Then, not seeing any reason why he shouldn't, he did. He lunged towards the opposite end of the sofa, grabbed Snape's face between his hands, and planted one square on the lips. When he released Snape an instant later, the gobsmacked expression on his face had Sirius laughing again.

Quickly shifting his features into a mask of vague disgust, Snape said, "Mutt. I suppose I should count myself lucky that you didn't lick my face. Still, next time I have potentially good news for you, I'll remember to send an owl." The faint flush that had crept onto his cheeks, though, belied his disdain.

"And deny me the pleasure of your _delightful_ company?" Sirius said. "What ever would I do without you around to insult my intelligence, wit, appearance, and sexual prowess?"

"Don't forget your manners and magical abilities. I endeavor to disparage those frequently as well."

Sirius snorted in amusement, then turned earnest. Leaning forward, he caught Snape's gaze and held it. "Snape," he said, putting all the sincerity he could muster into his voice, "thank you."

Silence stretched out as Snape stared back at Sirius, his eyes searching, until at last he nodded. "You're welcome."

* * * * *

After Snape had given Sirius a lead on what was likely the next Horcrux, Sirius had contacted Bill Weasley first thing the following morning. Bill had come to Grimmauld Place as soon as he'd been able get free from work, and Sirius had told him of his need to get inside Bellatrix's vault. Although breaking into Gringotts was said to be impossible, Bill thought it might be feasible with the help of someone on the inside, and he'd promised to do what he could. He'd said he'd try to discover the location of Bellatrix's vault and insert some gaps in the bank's security, but it could take a little time.

While Sirius waited, Snape continued to visit, and with increased regularity. The sex remained rather fast and vigorous, but a great deal more talking before and after gradually began to take place. Slowly Snape seemed to relax with Sirius, and his acerbic sniping turned to something more like cheeky banter. Even though Snape could still be quick to jump to the defensive, most of the time they spent together was almost downright companionable.

"Should I assume you had something to do with this?" Snape said as he walked into the kitchen of number twelve, Grimmauld Place brandishing a copy of _The Daily Prophet_. He dropped it onto the table, and Sirius' eyes went directly to the lead story.

> **Gringotts Dragon Debacle  
>  Goblin Gaolers Accused of Gross Negligence**
> 
> _Investigations into the treatment of watch dragons on the premises of Gringotts Wizarding Bank this week have led to the release of two of the creatures. Sources say that anonymous tips to the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and to the Central London Agency for Welfare of Endangered Dragons (CLAWED) suggested that dragons were suffering abuse at the hands of goblin captors. While the goblin-run bank typically operates outside the bounds of wizarding law, pressure from the Ministry, assorted dragon welfare groups, and the general wizarding public forced Gringotts to cooperate with the investigations. Charles Weasley, one of the dragon handlers on site during the removal of the beasts, was quoted as saying, "They're in pretty bad shape, but I think we got to them in time. Our goal now is to transport them to a preserve where they can be rehabilitated."_

Looking up from the paper, Sirius said, "I assure you this is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you." Which was entirely true. Bill's idea of 'inserting gaps in the bank's security' was far more creative than Sirius would have guessed. He couldn't help but grin in amusement.

"Well," Snape said, pulling out a chair and sitting at the table, "at least one of us is making some sort of headway in his tasks."

"Things are going that well, are they?"

"Or worse."

"Draco still refusing to talk to you?"

"Wretched little brat," Snape muttered. "He seems to trust me less than ever, if that can be believed. Potter, however, might be making some headway with him."

"Oh?" Sirius cocked his head to the side. "How so?"

"They've been having Apparation lessons on Fridays. Potter's been using them as an opportunity to try talking with Draco. Naturally, it wouldn't occur to him to actually pay attention to the instructor and attempt to learn something."

Rolling his eyes, Sirius said, "If you think you can refrain from maligning my godson for five minutes, do tell me how Draco's been responding to Harry's efforts."

"With sneers, insults, and threats for the most part. But I've noticed him looking at Potter when Potter's not paying attention."

"Looking at him?" Sirius asked. "That could mean any number of things, most of them bad."

"No," Snape said. "He's been looking at him in a… contemplative way. As though he's considering what Potter's offering."

"Let's hope he does more than just consider. It sounds like it's vital that we find out what he's been up to, and if we could get him officially on our side, all the better."

"For more reasons that you know," Snape said. "But so help me, if Potter succeeds where I could not, I shall poison myself with my own potions."

The corner of Sirius' mouth quirked up, and he said, "Just don't decide to drown your sorrows in alcohol again, yeah?"

A small shudder ran through Snape. "I'd rather drown myself in a cauldron of Exploding Fluid, if it comes down to that."

Sirius chuckled. "No poisoning or drowning allowed. I prefer you breathing."

Snape's tone was dry as he said, "I didn't know you cared."

"Of course I do!" Sirius leaned towards Snape and flashed him a conspiratorial wink. "I'm not done with you yet."

* * * * *

"Here you go, Harry," Sirius said as he handed Harry a bottle of butterbeer.

"Thanks, Sirius." Harry took a drink from the bottle while Sirius settled into the armchair across from him. "I'm really glad Professor Dumbledore let me come visit. There are loads of things I want to talk to you about."

"I'm glad he did too. He told me your injury was minor and easily healed, but I more or less insisted that I be able to see so for myself," Sirius said with a wry smile.

"You heard about that?"

"Oh, yes. I'm your godfather. They're sort of obligated to inform me when something happens to put you in the hospital wing."

"It wasn't that bad. I've had way worse." Harry shrugged. "The only part I regret is not being able to tear that idiot McLaggen limb from limb."

Laughing, Sirius said, "You truly are your father's son. Then again, Lily could have quite the temper as well."

"Yeah, well, you'd have wanted to kill him too if he'd chased you all over the castle for days, bossed you around, tried to take over your job as captain of the Quidditch team, and then hit you with a Bludger -- when he wasn't even playing Beater! Wanker."

"I kind of want to hex his teeth together and his fingers off just hearing about it."

"Do you know a spell for that?" Harry asked. When Sirius raised an eyebrow, Harry said, "Never mind. At least I don't have to worry about him playing on the team ever again. I just can't wait to have Ron back in action."

"Speaking of Ron, how is he? Out of the infirmary yet?"

"You heard about that too?"

"What can I say?" Sirius gave a crooked grin. "The Order is a bunch of gossips." It was an exaggeration, but not much of one.

Harry returned Sirius grin, then said, "Yeah, Madam Pomfrey let him out of hospital on Monday, same day as me."

"From what I was told, Ron's lucky you're a quick thinker."

"He's lucky there was a bezoar in the room," Harry said. "Anyway, at least something good came out of it all."

"What's that?"

"Hermione's speaking to him again."

"So they finally got it all sorted?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that. Ron's still going out with Lavender, but he doesn't want to be. He can't figure out how to tell her, though, so he's been avoiding her. Meanwhile Hermione keeps smirking about it all." Harry rolled his eyes, clearly weary of his best friends' antics.

Trying not to laugh but failing rather miserably, Sirius said, "I hate to say it, but those two might actually be even more impossible than your parents were."

"I'm glad _you_ find it amusing," Harry grumbled.

Something about Harry's sour tone reminded Sirius very much of Snape. Of course he doubted Harry would appreciate it if he said as much. Doing his best to hide his smile, Sirius asked, "Have you made any progress with Draco?"

Harry's brow creased. "That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh? What's happened?"

"He came to talk to me right after I got out of the hospital wing."

Perhaps Snape had been right about the situation. "What did he say? Did you find out what he's been trying to do?"

"No," Harry said, frowning, "he wouldn't tell me that. He did admit that Voldemort had given him some sort of assignment. He said that he had no choice, that he had to do it or else Voldemort would kill his parents to punish him."

"That's no empty threat from Voldemort."

"I know. I told him he still had a choice and that I could help him. But he just sort of laughed at me and said the only way I could help him was to stay out of his way."

"Hmm." Sirius drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "I can't imagine that he would have come to you, though, if he didn't want help. Most likely he just doesn't see how it's possible."

"You think so?" Harry sighed. "He was so strange. Not like I expected him to be, you know? He was scared. Nervous. He looked really unwell."

"A lot of people aren't quite what you think they are," Sirius said. It was a lesson he'd come to wish he'd learned earlier in life.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I guess Voldemort had a lot of people fooled when he was younger." Before Sirius could ask what Harry meant, Harry sat bolt upright and said, "Oh! I almost forgot!" He reached into his pocket , pulled out a small bottle, and handed it to Sirius. "This is from Professor Dumbledore."

Taking the bottle, Sirius saw that it was filled with the misty substance of memory. "Harry, do you know what this is? I mean, have you seen it?"

"Yeah. Dumbledore's been showing me some memories."

"What sort of memories? And why's he showing them to you?"

"Memories having to do with Voldemort's past, mainly. I think… I think Dumbledore's trying to prepare me for facing Voldemort again somehow."

A sense of foreboding gripped Sirius, and he tried to quickly shake it off. There was nothing he could do about Harry's connection to Voldemort, at least not yet, so it was better to not dwell on it and just enjoy whatever time he had with Harry. "Well, then," he said, pocketing the bottle, "in between cracked skulls, bickering friends, and bizarre conversations with would-be enemies, how are your studies going?"

* * * * *

Some weeks after his previous visit, Bill had returned to Grimmauld Place with a hand-drawn map showing a segment of the tunnel system below Gringotts. He'd given Sirius the location of Bellatrix's vault, told him everything he could about the bank's defenses, and wished him luck. The rest was up to Sirius.

The goblins who ran Gringotts cared little about wizarding law and placed the rules governing the operation of the bank above all else. Although he was wanted by the Ministry, Sirius should have no trouble accessing his vault as long as he could get into the bank and make the request without causing a scene. Hoping that something might be arranged with the goblins in advance, he'd sent a letter inquiring about a prearranged meeting. The owl had just flown from the window when the Floo chime sounded.

Sirius jogged down the hall to the drawing room and smiled when he saw Snape walking towards him. Taking in Snape's dark expression, his smile fell. As soon as Snape was in reach, Sirius placed a hand on his arm and asked, "What is it?"

Coming to a stop, Snape said, "He's done it."

"Who's done what?"

"Draco. He's gone to Albus. Told him everything and asked for our help."

"But that’s fantastic! That's what we wanted, isn't it?"

"Yes," Snape said, "but it was because of _Potter_." He spat the words and his lips twisted as though they'd left a bad taste.

Sirius managed not to laugh, but it was a near thing. "You're not _actually_ going to poison yourself now, right?"

"I'm considering it," Snape muttered.

Throwing his arm around Snape's shoulders, Sirius said, "Come on. This calls for tea. Let's go down to the kitchen and you can tell me all the appalling details."

Initially Snape stiffened at Sirius' gesture, but he soon yielded and allowed Sirius to lead him from the room. Once inside the kitchen, Sirius steered Snape into a chair at the table. He recalled that it was the same seat into which Snape had dropped him the night he'd retrieved the phony locket, and he was struck by an odd sort of symmetry.

Moving off to make the tea, Sirius said, "So, when did Draco go to Albus?"

"Just this evening," Snape said. "Apparently he was on the verge of bolting from Albus' office when he first entered, but by the time Albus finished plying him with tea and sweets and whatever the hell he laces them with, Draco was eager to spill every detail he could recall."

Glancing over at Snape, Sirius asked, "Do you really think Albus drugs his sweets?"

"Probably not," Snape admitted. "But it would certainly explain a great deal."

Unable to disagree, Sirius snickered down at the teapot. "And you're sure Harry's the one who persuaded Draco to go to Albus?"

"Yes." Snape still sounded thoroughly disgusted. "Potter insisted upon seeing Albus first. As I understand it, he spoke rather passionately on Draco's behalf."

"Wonder how Harry finally convinced him," Sirius said as he levitated the tea service to the table and sat beside Snape.

"According to Albus, Potter found Draco crying in the toilet. Right place, right time. Draco broke down, told him everything, and begged for help." Taking a teacup, Snape added, "For fuck's sake, what kind of Slytherin cries in the loo and blubbers all over a Gryffindor?"

"The kind who's on the verge of losing everything, I would imagine." Sirius took a cup as well and reached for the milk.

"Still, I never thought I'd live to see the day Draco and Potter joined forces."

"There are stranger things," Sirius said. "Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts. Hagrid's conception, for that matter. Us." He lifted his cup to his lips and watched carefully for Snape's response.

Snape's eyes seemed to widen for a fraction of a second, but his voice was its usual smooth drawl when he said, "You'd put our association in the same category as a blast-ended skrewt? Well, I suppose their volatility is approximately equal."

"Now that's not fair. We haven't shouted at each other in ages," Sirius said. "And screaming obscenities during a particularly inspiring blowjob doesn't count."

Snape gave a smug sort of smirk but said, "Everything always comes back to your libido with you, doesn't it, Black?"

"Also not fair, given how enthusiastic you seemed to be about administering said blowjob."

The glare Snape fixed on Sirius could have wilted flowers.

"Oh, come on," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "Do you honestly think me so shallow? If I were that obsessed with sex I'd have tried to cheer you up with a cock ring, not a cuppa."

"I'm surprised you didn't," Snape said, looking off to the side.

Oddly, Snape's accusations stung. "Hey," Sirius said quietly, "I do actually like talking with you, Severus. Merlin only knows why, what with you being such an insulting bastard."

Snapping his head up and lifting an eyebrow, Snape said, "What did you just call me?"

"Severus." Sirius shrugged. "It's your name, isn't it? All things considered, I think we really ought to be on a first name basis by now. If you don't like it, feel free to think of it as my compensation for allowing you to verbally eviscerate me on a regular basis."

With a snort, Snape said, "I've done nothing of the sort in days. Perhaps even weeks. As astonishing as that might seem. In fact, I believe I should spend the next hour or so belittling you simply to restore order to the universe."

"Excellent! So you don't object to me using your first name, then."

Heaving a put-upon sigh, Snape said, "If you insist upon it, I suppose I can't stop you. But I certainly hope you don't expect me to start calling you by your given name."

"Small victories. I'll take what I can get." Sirius was pretty sure his grin made him look like an utter twit, but he didn't much care.

* * * * *

Obtaining Hufflepuff's cup hadn't been easy, but all in all it had gone fairly well. It hadn't been the harrowing experience that getting Regulus' locket from the cave had been at any rate, and for that Sirius was immeasurably thankful. Granted, few things could have rivaled the horrors devised by Voldemort, but going into his sadistic cousin's vault had made him more than a little leery.

Sirius' letter to Gringotts had worked as intended, and the goblins had provided Sirius with a date, time, and instructions for his arrival. He'd been able to bypass the counters and go directly into a private meeting where he'd been expected and, after displaying his wand as proof of his identity, a goblin had been assigned to take him to his vault straight away.

Upon arrival at his own vault, it had been simple enough for Sirius to Stun his escort and drop a hair from his beard into a flask of Polyjuice. Once he'd assumed goblin form, the controls on the cart had responded to Sirius' manipulation. Operating the thing had still been a right pain in the arse, but he'd eventually ended up outside Bellatrix's vault where a touch of his transformed hand to the door had gained him access.

Thanks to the last memory Dumbledore had sent him, Sirius had known what the cup looked like. Still, he'd searched the vault for what had seemed like an hour, and he'd nearly despaired of the cup being there when he'd finally spotted it on a high shelf. Summoning the cup hadn't worked, but a Levitation Charm had put Sirius far enough up to reach it. And that was when things had gone pear shaped.

Sirius had grabbed the cup by both handles, then promptly realized his error. The handles had seared his hands as a plethora of copy cups sprang from the original. Gripping his prize tightly in spite of the pain, Sirius had dropped to the floor and inadvertently triggered a chain reaction of replication. Coins and gems and jewelry and goblets had burned holes through his robes and into his flesh, and he'd fled the vault right behind a deluge of wealth.

Despite the hitch, Sirius had made it back to his own vault with Hufflepuff's cup in a thick sack. A _Rennervate_ followed by a _Confundo_ had convinced the cart driver that he should return Sirius to the main bank building. Sirius' heart had been pounding when he'd somehow slipped out of the bank unchallenged.

As he walked through the front door of his house, a wave of euphoria hit him. He practically danced across the entrance hall and was halfway up the grand staircase when Snape's voice called to him from above, "Well, I see you've returned with all of your limbs still attached."

Taken by surprise, Sirius stumbled a step. He caught himself on the banister and hissed at the pain that flared from his burned hand. Still, he grinned when he looked up to find Snape peering down from the second floor landing. "I'm happy to see you too! Wait there; I'll be right up."

After bounding up the rest of the stairs to the second floor, Sirius spotted Snape leaning against the railing, arms crossed. As he walked towards Snape, Sirius asked, "What're you doing here?"

Giving a slight shrug, Snape said, "Making use of the library. When I arrived, you weren't here. I thought I'd take advantage of the peace and quiet to read until you returned."

"Just admit it. You were worried about me." Sirius winked, then reached for Snape. He slipped one hand around to cradle the back of Snape's neck and pulled him in close, ignoring the sting from his burns as he gave Snape a deep, lingering kiss.

When Sirius released him, Snape appeared a bit startled, but he was quick to recover. Nodding to indicate the sack slung over Sirius' shoulder, he said, "Is it safe to assume that whatever business took you out of the house went well?"

"Very. Let me just put this away and I'll meet you in the library."

As Sirius turned to leave, Snape snatched his wrist and pulled his hand up for inspection. He scowled down at the blistered, reddened skin and said, "Clearly you have an unusual definition of 'very well.'"

"I succeeded in my goal and made it back alive, didn't I?"

Snape snorted and dropped Sirius' arm. "When you enter the library you'd better have a damned burn salve with you." With that, he spun on his heel and swept away.

Fortunately Sirius did have a burn salve on hand, so after he'd stashed the Horcrux he returned to Snape with a small jar held aloft. "Happy now?"

"No, but it's a start," Snape said, snagging the salve from Sirius. "Sit. Hands."

"I'm perfectly capable of putting that on myself, you know." Nonetheless, Sirius sat and presented his palms as instructed.

"Hmm," was all Snape said in reply as he twisted the top off the jar and dipped his fingers inside.

Sirius expected Snape to be as rough and perfunctory in applying the salve as he was in everything else, and he braced for brutal treatment of his wounds. He was astonished when completely the opposite happened. There was a slight sting at the initial contact with his burns, but the salve cooled them quickly. Snape caused no additional hurt, but rather his fingertips barely skimmed over Sirius' damaged skin, only the lightest of touches. As Snape continued his work, the soft caress and the minty scent of the salve were remarkably soothing, and Sirius found himself relaxing and breathing a contented sigh. He never would have guessed that Snape could be so gentle, and he felt strangely honored to witness this aspect of his nature.

When Snape pulled away, it was almost a shock. Dazed, Sirius looked down at his hands and saw that his burns were nearly healed. Only stripes of tender, pink skin across his palms and fingers indicated where the damage had been.

By the time Sirius lifted his head again, Snape had already capped the jar and was rising from his seat. "Wait!" Sirius said and jumped from his own chair. Snape paused and lifted an eyebrow. Reaching out, Sirius laid his hand lightly on Snape's arm. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. But the next--" Snape began, but Sirius didn't stop to listen. Instead he leaned forward to kiss Snape. It was a mere brush of lips, as delicate as Snape's touch had been on Sirius' palms. Sirius let out a shaky breath and moved in again.

Almost immediately Snape dropped the jar of salve and pushed forward, crushing their mouths together and grasping a fistful of Sirius' robes. Sirius pulled back a little and cupped Snape's cheek in his palm, attempting to slow things down and control the pressure. Snape seemed to have other ideas, though, and forced his tongue between Sirius' teeth.

After a few moments, Sirius broke away. "Hey, slow down, all right? Unless you're in a rush to be someplace else?"

Snape's lip curled. "Running out of stamina, Black? Or are you just getting bored with me?"

"No," Sirius said, "neither. I just--"

"Then shut up." Snape lunged at Sirius, clamping their mouths together and knocking Sirius back a few steps. Sirius' knees gave way when he hit the edge of a chair, and he toppled into it. Snape gave a smug smile, then pulled Sirius' hair, jerking his head back and his chin up. Bending over him, Snape attacked Sirius' lips once more and ran his hands down the front of Sirius' robes. One palm came to rest at Sirius' crotch, and Snape broke away to say, "You want this."

His eyes fluttering shut, Sirius groaned and jolted up into Snape's hand. He was already hard; had been since the first kiss. Somehow he'd come to respond this way to the slightest contact with Snape, and clearly Snape was aware of it. Surging out of the chair, Sirius pulled Snape flush against him. His voice a low rasp, he said, "Yeah, I want it."

Sirius walked Snape backwards until the end of a bookshelf stopped their progress. Holding Snape firmly in place, Sirius began a slow grind of hips on hips, cocks on cocks. Snape let out a little _hnnn_ sound and his head dropped back to thunk against the bookshelf. "Yeah, that's it. Just like that," Sirius said as he kept up the lazy rocking, determined to make it last for once.

Snape clawed at Sirius, tried to quicken the pace, but Sirius refused to change his steady rhythm. Another tiny, desperate noise escaped Snape, and it went straight to Sirius' groin, made his blood heat. _This_ was so much better than another quick, furious session. This was a step closer to what Sirius had been craving. He wanted to make Snape lose some of his formidable control, come apart at the seams.

It was not to be. All at once, Snape bucked forward, throwing Sirius off. Before Sirius could regain his bearings, Snape grabbed him, spun him, and threw him over the desk face down. Sirius tried to get up, but Snape put a hand on his back and shoved him towards the desk's surface again. "Stay," he ordered.

Cool air hit Sirius' backside as Snape flipped his robes up and tugged his pants down. "What're you--" Sirius said, but his words were cut off with a gasp when Snape reached around and took hold of his shaft.

"Nothing you won't enjoy, I dare say," Snape replied. Any thoughts of disagreeing fled Sirius' mind as Snape began to stroke. Beyond coherent speech, Sirius dropped his forehead onto his arms and moaned.

There was movement behind Sirius, then Snape murmured something, and the space between Sirius' thighs was flooded with a slick, warm substance. He had only a moment to wonder what Snape intended to do before he felt Snape's cock slipping into the groove between his arse and legs.

Snape began pumping hard and fast, his hand stroking Sirius to the same pounding beat. The head of Snape's cock bumped against Sirius' bollocks and skin slapped against skin with each thrust. It wasn't what Sirius had wanted and yet it was _ohgodfuck_ incredible. He clawed at the desktop as frustration and intense arousal warred within him.

Soon, all too soon, Sirius felt tension building in his bollocks and a cry forming in his throat. A few more twists of Snape's wrist and both burst forth at once. Biting his forearm to muffle his shout, he spilled over Snape's hand and splattered the desk. Releasing Sirius' shaft, Snape grasped Sirius' hips with both hands and gave a series of short, sharp thrusts. As always, he made no sound as he came, but Sirius could feel his cock pulsing, his body quaking, his semen spurting. Sirius' groan was equal parts satisfaction and defeat.

Sirius expected Snape to pull back immediately, so he was astonished, elated even, when Snape slumped atop him, panting. Afraid that Snape would take any movement as a protest, Sirius scarcely even breathed. Still Snape remained there for only a moment, but before he slid away he placed a single, light kiss in the center of Sirius' back. If Sirius had been astonished before, he was floored then.

By the time Sirius managed to heave himself upright, clean himself up, and turn around, Snape already had his robes fastened and an impassive expression on his face. He looked for all the world as though he hadn't just pounded Sirius into the desk and come all over him. Sirius shook his head.

For an instant Snape seemed to frown at Sirius, then he gave a curt nod and turned towards the door.

"Wait," Sirius said. "You're not even…. Severus, why don't you stay a bit? I was going to cook dinner, so I might as well make enough for both of us."

"No time," Snape replied as he walked away from Sirius. "I have first year essays to mark tonight. If the abysmal quality of work doesn't give me a headache, attempting to decipher the atrocious handwriting will. I'll likely be at it all night." When he reached the doorway, however, he paused. Glancing back over his shoulder, he said, "Do you suppose you could do us both a favor and try not to injure yourself further? At least not until the wounds you already have are completely healed. Bloody Gryffindors will be the death of me yet." He shook his head and continued through the door.

After Snape disappeared from sight, Sirius sighed and fell into the nearest chair. He sat there for some time wondering how it was that Snape could make an insult sound almost like an endearment and sex feel like a rejection.

* * * * *

The cubes of ice in Sirius' Firewhisky clicked against each other as he swirled his glass and took a sip. It had been more than two weeks since Snape's last visit to Grimmauld Place. Clearly he was less than pleased with the way their last encounter had gone and didn't want a repeat. It was insult and injury all rolled into one. Sirius had been a fool to think they might be friends, much less… Well, it was best to leave that thought unfinished.

Sirius' sulk was interrupted by the activation of the Floo. When Snape stepped out of the fireplace, Sirius slouched even lower in his chair and mumbled, "Fantastic."

"Black?" Snape had the gall to sound concerned. Bastard.

Sirius snorted. "Well, will you look at that. It's the Prince of Pissing Off himself."

Walking towards Sirius, Snape asked, "Are you drunk?"

"Not yet. But thanks ever so for caring." Bitter sarcasm dripped from Sirius' words.

"What's got into you?" Snape demanded as he came to a stop in front of Sirius' chair.

"It's just that it's _so_ nice of you to find time in your busy schedule to visit. I appreciate it, really."

Crossing his arms, Snape said, "I do have two other jobs that demand my time, you know."

"Other jobs? I didn't realize spending time with me was such a chore. My mistake."

Snape dismissed Sirius' remark, and Sirius watched as he glanced around the drawing room and took in the disarray. Articles of clothing were scattered about, one end table was covered in empty lager bottles, and various other jetsam appeared here and there. Kreacher, who'd been on more or less civil terms with Sirius since the destruction of the locket Horcrux, had attempted to clean up the clutter until Sirius had eventually ordered him away.

"This place is a disaster," Snape said. " _You_ are a disaster. Clearly Albus was right; you do need a keeper."

"Bugger Albus. I don't--" Sirius stopped abruptly as the implications of Snape's words hit him. "Wait," he said, sitting up straight. "Are you saying that Albus told you to check up on me? Am I your 'other job'? Is that it?" Anger flared in his chest and he waited for the denial that he knew wouldn't come.

"He told me to keep an eye on you," Snape acknowledged, his tone guarded. "One can hardly blame him given your unpredictable behavior in the past."

His fingers tightening around his glass, Sirius asked, "And that's why you started coming here?"

"Yes…"

Furious, Sirius surged up out of his chair. "That's the only reason you've been coming here all this time? So I suppose the sex was, what, a perk of the job?"

Snape's eyes narrowed as he said, "I won't deny it."

A hundred accusations and curses flooded Sirius' mind all at once. Yet he was enraged nearly beyond coherent speech. All he could manage was, "Get. Out."

Snape hesitated, but Sirius wasn't interested in anything he might have to say. "Get out!" Sirius reached for his wand with shaking hands and advanced on Snape. " _Get the hell out_!"

Apparently Snape had a rather keen sense of self-preservation. He got the hell out as fast as his legs and the Floo Powder could carry him. As Sirius watched him disappear, he let out a savage howl and hurled his glass at the fireplace where it shattered in the grate.

* * * * *

"More tea, Albus?"

"Yes, thank you."

Sirius poured them each another cup and hoped that Dumbledore would get down to business soon. He'd shown up at Grimmauld Place unexpectedly almost half an hour earlier and had yet to state the reason for his visit. Rather than being annoyed, Sirius was mostly just thankful that the house hadn't been a wreck when Dumbledore had arrived. It had been close to a month since his final falling out with Snape, and although Sirius had spent more of that time brooding than he cared to admit, he'd at least attempted to pretend that everything was fine. There were times, though, when he truly wished he was not quite so good at hanging onto old, useless sentiments.

"Well then," Dumbledore said. "You must be curious as to what matter has brought me here this evening."

With a crooked smile, Sirius said, "It had occurred to me to wonder, yes."

"I believe you are already aware that Draco Malfoy has asked for our aid and agreed to join our cause?"

"I'd heard," Sirius said, trying to push away the memory of the day Snape had brought him that news.

"Upon speaking with Draco I learned that Voldemort had assigned him the task of repairing a Vanishing Cabinet that resides within Hogwarts. It was Voldemort's intention to send his Death Eaters through the Cabinet to attack the school."

"I assume you put a fast stop to that."

"On the contrary," Dumbledore said, "I assisted him in expediting the repairs."

"What?" Sirius said. "All right. Explain your reasoning behind this one."

"To begin with, if Draco fails, Voldemort has threatened to punish him by killing his parents. I cannot allow that if we wish to keep Draco's loyalty. More significantly, however," Dumbledore said, "I believe we can use this to our advantage."

"Oh? What have you got up your sleeve?"

"Some sherbert lemons and a good deal of lint, I would imagine. But what I intend to do is turn the tables on Voldemort."

Leaning in closer, Sirius said, "Go on."

Dumbledore set his teacup aside. "We'll set a trap so that when the Death Eaters enter Hogwarts they will immediately find themselves under attack."

"Brilliant! But won't Voldemort suspect Draco of turning traitor?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore said. "However, that is not the whole plan. Rather than simply capturing the Death Eaters or driving them off, the Order and its allies will follow them back to the source. Draco tells me that our Vanishing Cabinet's twin now resides inside Malfoy Manor, which Voldemort has taken over and made his base of operations. If Voldemort wants a fight, we shall take it to him. It is my great hope that we may end this war with one swift blow."

"I'll be there." Sirius said the words firmly in case Dumbledore had any thoughts to the contrary.

"Of course you will," Dumbledore agreed. "You've done a tremendous job disposing of Voldemort's Horcruxes, Sirius. Better than even I could have hoped. But there is still one more with which you must contend."

"The snake," Sirius said.

"Nagini, yes. And time will be of the essence. It must be killed before Voldemort can be defeated."

"I know." Sirius paused before asking, "And Harry?"

"He is aware of what he must do."

"Damn it!" Cups and saucers clattered as Sirius slammed his fist into the table. "He doesn't have to face Voldemort! Bugger the prophecy. There must be another way."

Dumbledore's voice was gentle. "Sirius, you know better than anyone why it must happen this way."

The fight left Sirius as quickly as it had come. Defeated, he looked down at his tea and said, "I know, but... he's just a kid and none of this is his fault. He shouldn't have to die."

"Oh, somehow I suspect Lily and James will not allow that to happen."

Looking up sharply, Sirius asked, "What? What do you mean?"

An enigmatic smile formed on Dumbledore's features. "Sirius, you of all people should know that death need not always be permanent."

Sirius desperately wanted to believe Dumbledore's words and understand exactly what he meant, but he knew that Dumbledore would give away no more. "So," Sirius asked, "when is this trap supposed to take place?"

Dumbledore replied, "Tomorrow night."

* * * * *

When Sirius arrived at Hogwarts, there were already dozens of others milling around the Great Hall. The Vanishing Cabinet had been brought in and the tables cleared out in preparation for the ambush. The air seemed thick with tension, charged with excitement and barely constrained magic. It made Sirius' wand hand twitch in anticipation. As he made his way through the crowd, Sirius saw Kingsley speaking to a group of figures in Auror's robes, then Ron and Hermione holding hands at the center of a large assortment of upper-year students. To Sirius' astonishment, Kreacher was there as well, clean and standing proud at the head of what appeared to be a small army of house-elves. Sirius caught his eye, and he gave Sirius a gesture that looked like a cross between a bow and a salute.

At almost the same moment, Sirius and Harry spotted each other, and they moved to meet halfway. As they drew closer, Sirius could see that Harry had dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn't slept at all the previous night, and fear, despair, and determination were all clear on his face at once.

"Sirius," Harry said when they both came to a stop. "I wasn't sure whether you'd be here."

"Of course I'm here," Sirius said. "Wouldn't miss it. I've got a bone to pick with my dear cousin, Bellatrix. And more importantly," he added, "I'm not letting you go in there alone. I'll be there."

"Thanks, Sirius." Harry nodded. "I know Gryffindors are supposed to be brave and all, but honestly, I'm frightened out of my bloody mind."

Giving Harry a small, lopsided smile, Sirius said, "That's what courage _is_ , Harry. Doing what you have to do even when it scares you witless."

"Yeah." The corner of Harry's mouth quirked up in an attempt to mirror Sirius' smile. "Right, yeah." Something across the room caught Harry's attention, and he turned his head briefly. "I'm sorry… I have to go talk to someone…"

"It's all right. I'll see you in a little while when this is all over."

"Sirius." Harry swallowed hard. "I… I don't think…"

Laying his hands on Harry's shoulders, Sirius leaned down a bit to look Harry in the eyes. "I'll see you when this is over." He spoke the words firmly, willing Harry to believe them; willing himself to believe them. Harry only nodded again before disappearing into the crowd.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Sirius slowly turned on the spot and surveyed the Hall. More people seemed to have arrived since he'd first come in. Even so, it didn't take him long to find Remus, and he headed over to him directly.

Remus saw him coming, and when they met, they clasped hands. "Hello, Sirius," Remus said. Unlike Harry, he didn't seem the least bit surprised to see Sirius there. Of course, he'd known Sirius since they were eleven years old and must have realized there'd be no keeping him away.

"Remus," Sirius replied, squeezing Remus' shoulder. "Are you ready to take down a few Death Eaters?"

"Oh yes," Remus said, something feral gleaming in his eyes. "I have one or two specifically in mind."

Sirius didn't need to ask whom Remus meant. "I wish you all the success in the world. Take care of them for me as well, would you?"

Frowning, Remus said, "I would have thought you'd want to help with our old friend Peter."

"I have a different target tonight."

Remus gave Sirius a calculating look before he said, "One assigned to you by Albus, is it?"

"Yes. And speaking of Albus, have you seen him yet? I expected him to be making some grand speech by now."

Shaking his head, Remus said, "He's not joining us. He said it was essential that neither Draco nor Snape see him tonight. Does that make any sense to you?"

"No, none whatsoever."

They lapsed into silence, then Remus abruptly said, "Padfoot. Don't do anything stupid, all right? Losing you twice was enough. Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"I promise," Sirius said. They both knew he was lying. "You take care of yourself as well. Watch your back, Moony."

"I will."

There was really nothing else to say. They hugged each other tightly and then Sirius watched as Remus moved off to talk with Kingsley. There was no one else present with whom Sirius felt much like talking, so he made his way to a quiet corner of the Hall and slid into the shadows.

Leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, ankles crossed, Sirius watched the various allies coming together. He spotted Harry again, this time off to one side with Draco Malfoy. Harry's hand was on Draco's shoulder and their foreheads were pressed together as they spoke. Sirius didn't know whether their apparent closeness indicated friendship or something more. Whatever the case, he only hoped that Harry could have more success in his dealings with Slytherins than he'd had.

Distracted by his thoughts, Sirius didn't see the hooded figure approaching until he was nearly upon him. Stopping beside Sirius, Snape hissed, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

It wasn't difficult for Sirius to snarl back at Snape. "Same as everyone else, I would imagine. Or did you think I'd be too drunk to deal with some scum-sucking Death Eaters and look out for my godson?"

Snape gave Sirius a murderous look. "I should have known you couldn't miss an opportunity to play the hero and show off. You've always had far more swagger than sense."

Robes swirling, Snape spun and began to storm away, but Sirius reached out to snag his arm and pulled him back. "Wait. Sev-- Snape. There's something I have to do, and I might need your help." In spite of everything that had happened, in spite of his hurt and anger, Sirius realized that he still trusted Snape.

Narrowing his eyes, Snape studied Sirius' face for a long moment. "I'm listening," he said at last.

"I have to kill Voldemort's snake," Sirius explained in a hushed tone. "It's vital that I do. Voldemort can't be defeated until the snake dies."

"I understand," Snape said, nodding slowly.

Sirius wondered exactly how much Snape understood. He reckoned it was a fair amount. Although he'd told Snape very little, Snape was a shrewd bastard, and he'd probably been able to put some pieces together. Instead of asking about that, though, Sirius said, "I assume you'll be playing the role of Loyal Death Eater Number One at this evening's performance?"

"Yes. I expect to be summoned as soon as the attack begins. I'll be doing what I can, but I'll have to try to maintain my cover in case…"

"In case things go tits-up," Sirius supplied with his usual tact. "I know. Just see if there's anything you can do to help clear my path, all right?

"All right.." Snape opened his mouth again as though he intended to say more, then snapped it shut. After another few seconds, he said, "Good luck."

"Thanks. You too."

Snape nodded, turned, and walked away. Sirius didn't stop him.

 

The trap worked exactly as planned. When the time came, the Order and its allies crouched behind magical barriers with Disillusionment Charms concealing their presence. They remained silent and still, scarcely breathing, as a number of Death Eaters climbed out of the cabinet and into the Hall. It didn't take long for the invaders to sense that something wasn't right, but before they could call off their advance or turn back, Kingsley gave the signal that began the counterattack. A handful of Death Eaters were brought down right then and there, and the rest scrambled back through the cabinet with attackers hot on their heels.

The first Order members and Aurors to arrive at the other side had the job of defending the cabinet there to ensure that it couldn't be destroyed before everyone had made it through. Sirius wasn't among that group, but he wasn't far behind. Stepping into the cabinet was like entering a quiet, dark tunnel. The sensation lasted only seconds before Sirius plunged out into noise and motion and chaos.

Moving to the side and falling into a defensive stance, Sirius gained his bearings and took stock of the situation as quickly as he could. He appeared to be in a grand ballroom complete with marble floors, arched entryways, and ostentatious décor. A half-circle of Aurors defended the cabinet while more and more of their allies poured out into the room. Bolts of spell light zipped and whizzed through the air, bouncing off walls and smashing through crystal chandeliers.

On the far side of the room was a dais upon which Voldemort stood shouting orders to his followers. A few feet behind him sat what was clearly meant to be his throne; a large, silver chair made in an elaborate twisting serpent design. It was so absurdly over the top that Sirius would have laughed had he had the time. But then a portion of the chair seemed to move, and Sirius realized that it wasn't one of the silver serpents but a real snake -- Nagini -- slithering over the seat and onto the dias.

His eye on his target, Sirius began moving forward, fighting the enemies who got in his path. His first opponent fell victim to her own curse when it rebounded off Sirius' Shield Charm. The second was knocked unconscious when Sirius blasted him off his feet and into a pillar. When Sirius looked up at the dais again, Snape had arrived and was exchanging words with Voldemort. As Snape took up his position and began throwing spells into the fray, Sirius pressed on.

Another Death Eater got in Sirius' way and then another. He fought them off successfully, but grew frustrated and anxious that it was taking so long to work his way through the throng. Checking the situation at the dais again, Sirius met Snape's gaze. Snape's eyes widened slightly, he threw a hex that narrowly missed Sirius, and a masked figure toppled to the ground at Sirius' feet. Making a mental note to thank Snape for that one later if he got out of there alive, Sirius ducked a spell and then shoved the next Death Eater away from him and into another's curse.

At last Sirius made it to within a reasonable distance of the platform. There was a clear path between himself and Nagini, and Voldemort was looking the other direction and hadn't yet noticed him. Aiming his wand, Sirius took his shot. " _Cremo_!" A jet of searing heat and fire streaked from his wandtip and towards the snake. Just as it should have hit its target, it flared against an invisible barrier and flickered out. A glittering sphere formed around the snake and lifted it into the air, coiling and hissing. " _Fuck!_ Sirius screamed, and he tried another desperate curse, but that bounced off the sphere and took out a chunk of the ceiling.

"You," a high voice cut through the dim. Sirius snapped his head to the side to find Voldemort's red eyes scrutinizing him. "I know you. Friend to Potter, brother to Regulus Black. I was told you were dead. No matter. I shall finish you myself, and painfully for what you've just attempted. You shall suffer as your pathetic, traitorous brother did."

Having had ample warning that it was coming, Sirius dodged Voldemort's first curse easily. The second came immediately in its wake, and Sirius managed to get a Shield Charm up in time and then fire off a hex of his own. Voldemort deflected the spell, then his face twisted in a demented snarl. " _Avada Kedavra_!"

Sirius put up another Shield as the green light sped towards him. The spell was strong, fueled by an unimaginable hate, and although Sirius' _Protego_ repelled it, the force knocked him off his feet and threw him to the floor. Once more the Dark Lord took aim.

Voldemort never had a chance to throw another curse at Sirius. Behind him there was a great blast as the sphere around Nagini shattered and burst into a thousand fragments of wasted magic. Just to the side Snape stood with his teeth bared and his wand pointed at the great snake. " _Sectumsempra_!" he roared, and Nagini's body separated in two and thudded to the ground.

An inhuman shriek came from Voldemort. "Traitor! Fool! You would betray _me_?! _Crucio_!"

Snape failed to protect himself from the powerful curse, and there was no dodging a Cruciatus. He instantly fell, his back arching, his fingers clawing, his body twisting in agony. He howled like a dying thing. Voldemort lifted the curse, then cast it again. Horrified and frozen in place, Sirius wanted to cover his ears against Snape's wails and squeeze his eyes shut.

Finally Voldemort stopped. Snape slowly pushed himself up onto his knees. His body trembled, but defiance shone in his eyes. Sirius felt a peculiar stab of pride. "Now," Voldemort said. "Now you shall die."

As Voldemort raised his wand, time seemed to slow. " _No_!" Sirius shouted. He couldn't allow this. His heart in his throat, he ran full-tilt for the dais. Halfway there he changed into his Animagus form and took a great leap at Voldemort. Just as he made contact, there was a loud bang, and then there was only darkness.

* * * * *

Wherever Sirius was, it was quiet. That was the first thing he realized as awareness filtered in. The second, which came immediately on the heels of the first, was that he felt like the Knight Bus had run over him, backed up, and run over him again for good measure. Groaning, he struggled to lift his hand to his pounding head.

"Good. I hope it hurts like nine kinds of hell. You deserve it for the stunt you pulled."

Sirius would have known that stern, disapproving voice anywhere. Forcing his eyes open, he saw that somehow he was in his own bed at Grimmauld Place. Even more remarkable was that Snape was sitting on the edge of said bed, glaring down at him with the full force of his displeasure. Memory flooded in then, and Sirius sat bolt upright in spite of the blinding pain it caused. "Harry!"

"Is fine," Snape said, shoving Sirius back to the bed. "In better shape than you, I dare say."

"He's alive? He made it, then? He…"

"Yes," Snape said. "Potter is alive. The Dark Lord is not. The Boy Who Has More Lives Than a Bloody Cat won the day."

"Thank Godric," Sirius breathed. "And Remus?"

"Also none the worse for wear." Snape sounded less than thrilled about that, but he kept his opinion to himself otherwise.

Recalling the scene he'd witnessed before the battle, Sirius asked, "Draco? What about him?"

"Injured, but he'll recover. He's at Hogwarts under Albus' protection. Now," Snape said, "if you think you can stop asking questions long enough to take it, I have a pain potion for you."

"Excellent plan." Now that Sirius knew those closest to him were safe, his head hurt more than ever. The rest of him didn't feel great either, for that matter.

As Snape helped to prop him up with a pile of pillows, Sirius realized that he was entirely naked beneath the covers. Most likely Snape had needed his clothing out of the way in order to assess him for injuries and heal any damage. Sirius told himself firmly that it meant nothing more than that.

Once Sirius was settled back, Snape handed him a small, green bottle. "Drink it all." Sirius uncorked the bottle and drained the contents. A cool sensation spread through Sirius' head and the pain slowly began to trickle away. After giving a satisfied nod, Snape began carefully dabbing a bruise-healing paste onto Sirius' arm with a soft cloth.

Trying not to think about Snape touching him, Sirius asked, "How did it happen? How did Harry defeat Voldemort?"

"I'm not certain. The details are confusing and no one's had time to tell me much."

"Wait, you weren't there? You didn't see it?"

"I was a little busy dragging your arse out of the fray, you know," Snape snapped.

"I… It was you? You're the one who brought me back here?" Sirius couldn't quite seem to get a handle on the notion.

"Mmm," Snape confirmed. "It didn't seem as though anyone else was going to do it, and I supposed I shouldn't just leave you battered and bleeding on the floor after the foolish, ill-conceived, rash thing you did."

Sirius snorted. "You're welcome."

Sitting back to give Sirius a withering look, Snape said, "You're an idiot, Black."

"So you've said. Multiple times. In a variety of ways."

"No, I mean you're an even bigger imbecile than I realized. Which is saying quite a lot. You're a complete and utter ninny."

"A _ninny_?" Sirius burst into laughter at Snape's absurd insult. It might have been a trick of the light, but he thought he saw the corner of Snape's mouth twitch up into the tiniest of smiles.

They both fell silent for a few moments and then, very quietly, Snape asked, "Why'd you do it?"

Sirius shrugged. He had nothing to lose by telling the truth. "I just couldn't let him kill you. Mock me for being maudlin if you want, but I'd do anything for those who are most important to me. Some things -- some people -- are worth dying for."

Snape half-turned away from Sirius and looked at some distant point. "I believe you about that now."

At first the comment confused Sirius, but understanding slowly trickled in. "But you didn't believe… that you mattered to me before."

Snape's voice was rough. "Why should I have? Given our past history and…" He gave a sharp shake of his head as he trailed off.

Although Snape hadn't finished his sentence, Sirius thought of a few self-deprecating ways it might have ended if he had. "All right. Maybe I should have told you. But I was only just figuring it out myself when things sort of went to hell in the proverbial hand basket. And besides, you didn't exactly give me much reason to think you'd have wanted to hear it."

"Damn right I didn't," Snape snapped. "I learned years ago never to expose my throat to a Gryffindor."

"I suspect," Sirius said, smiling at Snape's defensiveness, "that it wasn't your throat you were worried about exposing." That only earned Sirius a darker scowl. Sirius slid his hand out, grasped Snape's hand, and tugged. "C'mere."

It was a bit of a surprise when Snape didn't bristle at all, but simply allowed himself to be pulled towards Sirius. Reaching up, Sirius cupped Snape's cheek in his palm and drew him in for a kiss. At the first light press, Snape's eyes fluttered shut and he let out a shaky breath. He didn't push, he didn't rush. A bolt of victory and arousal sizzled down Sirius' spine as Snape finally, _finally_ allowed him to take the lead.

Groaning, Sirius went in for another pass, and another, each kiss deeper and more lingering than the one before it. Snape slid his lips over Sirius' in a slow, sensual accompaniment to Sirius' movements and tightened his hands on Sirius' shoulders. It was incredible, it was exactly what Sirius had wanted for months, and it was not nearly enough. Sirius' fingers went to the top button on Snape's robes and began prying it open.

Drawing back, Snape said, "You're injured."

Sirius took Snape's hand and pushed it down so that Snape could feel his erection through the sheet. "Not that injured," he said.

"Apparently not," Snape said, his voice coming out hoarse. He licked his lips, hesitated an instant, then began unfastening his clothing. Sirius watched as Snape stood, toed away his shoes and socks, slipped his pants off, and at last shrugged out of his robes and allowed them to fall to the floor. Spots of color rose in his cheeks, but his eyes remained on Sirius, his expression almost defiant.

If Snape expected Sirius to mock him, he couldn't have been more wrong. Snape's body was skinny, pale, and awkward, and for once it was all Sirius' to revere or debauch as he pleased. A surge of _want_ flooded Sirius, and his voice was thick with it as he said, "Don't make me come and get you."

Snape gave a bit of an incredulous sniff, but he returned to Sirius' side. As soon as he did, Sirius pulled him into another kiss and kept pulling until Snape was fully on top of him. While their mouths moved together in languid concert, Sirius skated his palms down Snape's back and over his arse, relishing the feel of soft skin and Snape's weight on him.

It wasn't long at all before Sirius felt Snape stiffening against his hip. Tightening his hold on Snape's arse, he pulled Snape upwards and dragged their cocks together through the sheet. Their lips broke apart as moans were wrenched from them both, and _that_ sound, low and rich, coming from Snape nearly made Sirius come apart then and there.

Once he'd taken a few deep breaths to get control of himself, Sirius began moving, setting the pace and urging Snape to follow his rhythm. This was no frenzied thrusting as in their previous encounters, but a gentle roll of hips that made Sirius simultaneously want more and never want it to stop. Very soon, though, the former won out. "Need to feel you," he gasped.

There were a few moments of clumsy shifting to toss away the covers that separated them. As soon at that was done, Sirius tugged Snape down and rolled them both, putting himself on top. Their legs tangled and their bodies aligned. The heat from Snape's skin made Sirius' head spin. Burying his face in the crook of Snape's neck, Sirius began rocking in a steady back and forth.

It was still slow, but far more urgent than before. Tiny whines and sobs escaped Snape as he tossed his head on the pillow and tangled his fingers in Sirius' hair. Sirius had wanted to see Snape this way for so very long that he couldn't hold back the litany of fervid encouragements that he murmured into Snape's ear. "Yes, oh, god, yes, just like that, so hot, fuck yes." Snape responded by pushing his hips up more forcefully and groaning louder.

Too much. It was just too much. The sounds spilling from Snape's lips. Snape's limbs winding around him. Snape's cock like an iron brand burning, leaking, sliding against him. Sirius _needed_ to move faster. He gained speed, thrusting harder, his breathing ragged, fire pooling in his belly. Barely able to force out coherent words, he gasped, "God… Severus! Can't… last…"

Sirius came in a devastating rush, his bollocks hitching up and his cock pulsing over and over as he emptied himself onto Snape. Through it all he kept moving blindly until at last his arms shook too hard to support him, and he collapsed into a trembling mess.

As dazed as Sirius was, it took a few moments for him to register that Snape was still writhing and jerking beneath him. When Snape let out a frustrated sound halfway between a growl and a whimper, Sirius said, "Hush, I'll take care of you, don't worry."

Levering himself up, Sirius slicked his hand with his own spend and took Snape's prick in a firm grip. Snape clutched the sheets and bucked up into Sirius' fist at that first touch. The time for teasing was past, and Sirius jerked his wrist in short, quick strokes. "Come on," he said. "That's it. Come for me." Snape's cock grew almost impossibly stiff and gave a great twitch. One sharp cry was torn from Snape's throat, then he spurted so hard that he splattered his own chest. Sirius continued stroking Snape, coaxing out every last shudder until he slumped to the bed, panting.

Utterly drained, Sirius toppled sideways and dropped to the bed beside Snape. Although he was tempted to stay where he was and never move again, he thought he should at least clean up a bit first. He had made quite a mess of Snape, after all. There was only one small problem with that plan. "Severus," he asked, "do you know what happened to my wand?"

"It's right next to you, you twit."

Sirius chuckled. Snape's slights had no bite at all when delivered in such a breathless mumble. "Well, you might still be able to insult me immediately after we've had absolutely brilliant sex, but at least I've reduced you to doing so with monosyllabic words."

"Arse," Snape said, thus proving Sirius' point.

When he turned his head, Sirius spotted his wand on the nightstand. He retrieved it and cast the necessary charms. "Thank you for bringing it back," he said. "And me, for that matter. I don't know how you managed it, but thank you."

"You're welcome." Snape's brow knitted together and he looked like he might say more, but he remained silent.

After returning his wand to the nightstand, Sirius sank back into the bed. It was warm and soft, and a sense of contentment washed over him. Exhaustion hit him all at once, and he sighed deeply and closed his eyes. All was quiet for a time, then he felt Snape beginning to sit up. Sirius shot his hand out to grab Snape's arm. "Don't."

Slowly, Snape lay down. Sirius rolled onto his side and threw his arm over Snape as added assurance that he'd keep Snape there. "Better," Sirius said. "I still have about a hundred questions to ask you, but… 'm tired."

"Then sleep now. There aren't any questions that can't wait a few hours."

"Will you still be here when I wake up?"

"I suppose I'll have to be. Someone will need to be on hand to give you another potion for pain after what you just made us do."

Snape might still need excuses to stay in order to feel safe, but at least he _was_ staying. And his excuse was a roundabout way of saying he cared. Sirius smiled. "Good enough to be going on with."

"Sleep," Snape repeated.

"Mmm," Sirius agreed. His last thought before falling into deep, dreamless slumber was that he would have to find a way to adequately thank Harry for bringing him back from behind the Veil. He had a feeling that, now that the war was over, he was going to very much enjoy being alive.


End file.
